Assessment

The midterm elections next year will not be just your ordinary balloting. While it is their constitutional mandate, Filipinos going out to vote in the electoral exercises will not only be appointing new leaders from the town council to the Senate.

As the country kicked off the election season with those seeking government posts trooping to Commission on Elections offices to file their certificates of candidacy, Filipinos will be having a grand time voting for those the think are worthy of their votes come Election Day.

However, the coming elections are not just about the administration and the opposition, and their race for dominance. Yes, in this country so much consumed by politics, the May exercises are expected to be a dog-eat-dog competition between the present administration and its political opponents.

But amid the political crisis sweeping across the nation, the next elections will certainly be a day of judgment by the people on President Rodrigo Duterte over how he is faring in his efforts to fulfill his promises.

Whether the masses are satisfied or not, the result of the elections will crucially serve as their assessment on the Duterte government on policies and programs it implemented during its first three years.

An election outcome showing majority of the administration candidates – for Senate, House of Representatives and local positions – winning will be testimony that the Duterte government is on the right track, that the people are supporting its programs and policies.

However, if the result favors the opposition, then it is the clear the masses are starting to show disappointment and have issues over some government policies, especially those that deal with the economy.

After the next elections, the Duterte administration will have three more years fixing whatever issues to be fixed or improving whatever programs and policies to be improved, depending on the assessment on the people.