Feud fatigue

In an impressive show of democratic fervor, Filipinos came out in droves, ignoring the heat, to exercise their right of suffrage.

The turnout was a manifestation of the people’s will, a cry for an end to the political discord, which was evident in the results of the senatorial race.

The outcome confounded the surveys, which had mostly become a business rather than a measure of voter preference.

Despite isolated reports of violence, the general assessment was the recent exercise was one of the most orderly and peaceful.

Glitches reported in the counting machines, routine in past polls, were mainly due to the excruciating heat that affected some machines.

The outcome was split evenly between five administration and five opposition bets, with two slots going to independents who showed a possible resurgence of the liberal democrats.

The results rejected the political feud, indicating the voters’ preference and desire for balance.

The 12 frontrunners represented a mix of affiliations aligned with President Marcos’ Alyansa, Vice President Duterte’s DuterTen coalition, and independents or opposition figures.

The comeback of Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who are associated with the Liberal Party and former Vice President Leni Robredo’s opposition movement, was the biggest shocker, indicating the demographic factor at work.

Most of the voters were the youth seeking alternatives to dynastic politics.

Even in the local results, the winning bets capitalized on the fatigue with dynastic feuds by offering progressive platforms. The results indicated a public desire for alternatives to feud-driven politics.

Also gleaned from the results is the lesson not to trust pre-election surveys.

Most of the polls indicated a dominant administration victory with up to nine Senate seats, while Duterte’s allies were expected to secure only two at most. The results suggest that voters did not overwhelmingly favor one camp over the other, rejecting the idea of the election as a zero-sum proxy war.

The balanced choices suggest the voters have woken up and looked at the candidates’ merits.

The performance of the Duterte-aligned candidates, with Senator Christopher “Bong” Go as topnotcher despite former President Rodrigo Duterte’s detention in The Hague and Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment, points to a rejection of the attempts to marginalize the Dutertes.

The administration’s failure to secure a supermajority undermines the narrative of a public mandate for Marcos’ leadership as the midterms are considered a referendum on the incumbent.

The polls demonstrated progress in employing the advantage of technology through new automated counting machines that encountered fewer issues than their predecessors.

The results were out before the end of the day, which reduced the chances of underhanded practices, unlike in the past.

The high voter registration and turnout portend a brighter future, providing a model for the next elections.

Overall, the 12 May elections is another victory for Filipinos in keeping the democratic process alive and exemplary.

More than anything else, it will end the description of Philippine politics as a battle between families who dominate the political landscape.