Let’s all respect the people’s will

With about 97 percent of election returns already counted, front-running presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is now assured of a landslide victory with about 30.76 million votes, more than double that of his closest rival, Vice President Leni Robredo, who has about 14.68 million votes, according to a partial and unofficial tally of the Commission on Elections.

Still, Marcos Jr. has yet to claim victory. “Let’s wait until 100 percent of the votes have been counted and the victory is very clear before we celebrate,” he said in a televised speech on Monday night.

A political observer said the election results should not come as a surprise but that they were sobering, as they reflect in part a growing frustration among the public with previous administrations. In all surveys conducted in the runup to the vote, Marcos Jr. had maintained a clear lead over his opponents.

Although Marcos Jr. has yet to be officially proclaimed as our presidentelect, this early, we would like to offer our sincere congratulations. We know he will be taking office at a critical juncture in the country’s history. There are many pressing challenges waiting for the incoming administration, including the lingering effects of the global health crisis and the repercussions of the Ukraine war on the Philippine economy.

If only because of the close to 90 percent voter turnout, the May 9, 2022 presidential election should be marked as a sign of how robust Philippine democracy is. The Commission on Elections said the conduct of the national and local polls was “not perfect, but still generally peaceful.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines reported 15 cases of election violence in the regions. AFP Spokesperson Demy Zagala said the incidents include 2 explosions; 2 shootings; 1 grenade throwing; 2 ambush attempts; 2 armed clashes between political rivals; 1 indiscriminate firing; 1 indiscriminate firing with ballot snatching; 1 ballot snatching; and 3 strafing incidents. At least four people died from the said incidents, which happened on May 8 and May 9, 2022. A third of the cases happened in Basilan.

Most of the field reports throughout the 12 hours that the polling precincts were open focused on the problems caused by a combination of factors: High voter turnout in an intense election, pandemic-induced protocols that delayed the process involving more voters, and the breakdown of vote counting machines (VCMS), which further caused long lines of people reporting the exercise took them hours to complete. Despite the stringent testing before election day, at least 530 VCMS bogged down and required to be replaced during the voting period, according to the Comelec (Read, “Glitches aside, May 9 polls largely peaceful–comelec,” in the Businessmirror , May 10, 2022).

In the US, where we copied our democratic process, formal concessions among presidential aspirants did not become an election custom until 1896, when Republican William Mckinley defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan. In his memoir, Bryan said he began to resign himself to the loss by 11 p.m. on election night. When he learned that his loss was certain, Bryan immediately sent a telegram to Mckinley, offering his congratulations. He said: “We have submitted the issue to the American people and their will is law.” With that, a custom was born. Ever since, losing candidates—even sitting presidents—have conceded to their opponents. Former president Donald Trump broke that custom in the last US presidential election when he refused to concede to president-elect Joe Biden.

In the Philippines, some losing presidential bets refused to concede in past polls. They will make baseless fraud claims and sow doubts among their supporters. We all suffer when leaders erode people’s confidence in the democratic process. A wise man once said democracy depends on the consent of the losers. That’s why it is important for losing candidates to concede, and to consent to the winning candidate’s mandate to govern. Notably, at press time, at least five presidential candidates have publicly conceded: Senator Panfilo Lacson, Senator Manny Pacquiao, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, Faisal Mangondato, and Leody de Guzman. This is the best way for them to show to the world that they respect and accept the will of the Filipino people.