THEY’RE OFF AND RUNNING!

Whether we like it or not, it looks like the jockeying for position in the upcoming presidential derby has begun.

Without actually declaring their intentions, the so-called presidential timbers are now giving a glimpse of what to expect from them in the 2022 national elections. You can see it in their body language. You can feel it in their statements and messages. Never mind the pandemic. Never mind the vaccines. Fact is, they would even use these issues to bolster their intended bids.

“It’s too early to talk about politics,” they would often say, complete with, “I’d rather help first in easing the suffering of our people.”

Plastic!

This early, even with the pandemic still raging, eyes are already trained on the presidential elections next year, never mind if the vaccines that should lift us out of the scourge have yet to arrive. It is that time of the year next year when Pinoys will have to make that crucial and critical decision on who they would want to lead them after incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte.

They, however, would not only be choosing a successor, but someone who should be able to lead them out of the emergency health and economic crises we are facing. It’s no joke to be chief executive as history would tell us. Yet, many by either naked ambition or sincere desire to be of service to the nation are still

It’s no joke to be chief executive as history would tell us. Yet, many by either naked ambition or sincere desire to be of service to the nation are still aspiring for it.

One thing is clear though. The electorate would have to make a wise, practical decision knowing how recent events have made the presidency such a big challenge.

aspiring for it. Some are pretenders. Others simply want to achieve a milestone in their political careers.

The most telling commentary on this jockeying for position in the run up to the polls was made probably by Senator Panfilo Lacson who said that with the myriad problems the country is facing, those aspiring for the job can apply now and suffer later.

With such enormous task ahead, many have already given unsolicited advice to the Filipino nation on who to select for 2022. Some say pretenders should be weeded out. Others believe someone with good economic background should be the next leader, as he would have the unenviable task of putting the economy back in order.

The national treasury, as we all know, is empty. The country is heavily in debt. Experts say we will have to continue borrowing more money to finance economic recovery programs and the cost of securing immunity from the deadly virus.

Surveys conducted by OCTA Research and previous polls before that have only confirmed the Pinoy passion for politics. Names of possible contenders have been fed them and from where we sit, it looks like it will be an open, free-for-for-all contest among wannabes whose only common denominators are audacity and hubris, according to an analyst.

At this point, however, most everyone of them prefers holding out, adopting a wait-and-see approach to their intended run. Even the President has yet to categorically show clear indications of who he wants to succeed him.

While it looks like he is slowly building up his former presidential aide Bong Go, there are also clamors for his daughter to make a bid. Her very own father, however, has kept on discouraging her from running, knowing the enormous burden of being Chief Executive.

Sara Duterte, nevertheless, continues to lead every poll conducted of late, although she has time and again shut down any form of endorsement by supporters.

The Liberal Party, of course, is expected to field Vice President Leni Robredo as the principal opposition candidate, but this early, experts are already doubting her chances with her very low survey results. Bongbong Marcos, as his camp himself had announced, had signified his intention of running for a national position.

Also eyed as possible timbers are Lacson himself, boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and Manila

Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, who gained national prominence by toppling veterans Erap

Estrada and the late Alfredo Lim. He is expected to get the nod of most millennials and the youth.

With the business sector widely affected by the pandemic, there has also been clamor for successful industrialists like San Miguel Corporation’s Ramon Ang to make a go for the highest position, although this early, the businessman had doused cold water on the proposals.

Notwithstanding the results of the surveys, it looks like the upcoming presidential derby would be an interesting one, not only because of the issues involved, but also because of the personalities making up the contest.

One thing is clear though. The electorate would have to make a wise, practical decision knowing how recent events have made the presidency such a big challenge.

After all, it is us who will have to bear the consequences of our choices.