by Chito A. Fuentes
With the guessing game on whether Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will run or not now settled, the new guessing game is: who will stick with the other three presidential aspirants?
At least two analysts have predicted that Duterte’s entry will disrupt the existing political configurations particularly in Mindanao.
Mon Casiple said Duterte’s last-minute entry into the presidential race “has changed the political equation, ensuring a free-for-all among five candidates next year.”
Casiple, executive director of Institute for Political Reform, predicted that Duterte “will certainly get the Mindanao and Cebu votes.”
 |
| Filipino seafarers aboard a ship in Antartica send a white-as-snow message home. |
Meanwhile, Malou Tiquia of PUBLICOS Asia Inc. went even farther, predicing that Duterte will be a “game-changer”.
Tiquia, who hosts “Agenda” on CNN Philippines, said Duterte will take support away from Poe and Roxas.
Duterte caught political watchers in the National Capital Region by surprise when he stormed into the lead in the latest Pulse Asia survey.
The tough-talking Davao mayor cornered the nod of one-third of the the respondents, posting a commanding 34%, dislodging erstwhile topnotcher Sen. Grace Poe who fell to second with her 26%.
Vice Mayor Jejomar Binay dropped to third, four percentage points behind Poe at 22% while administration bet Mar Roxas plummeted even farther to fourth at 11%.
Sen. Miriam Santiago brought up the rear with 7%.
It will be recalled that many Mindanao politicians who had earlier express support for Duterte’s candidacy eventually settled for other candidates when the latter refused to beat the deadline last Oct. 17.
Duterte’s re-entry now poses headaches for the former as Mindanao and even Cebu are experiencing a sudden surge of regional pride.
In Davao provinces, rival politicians have already opened contact lines with the mayor’s camp to express support for his bid. Even former Speaker Prospero Nograles has openly declared his support for Duterte in spite of their bitter and protracted political rivalry in Davao.
Sources in the Duterte camp note a similar scenario shaping up in other Mindanao provinces and some areas in the Visayas particularly Cebu.
As the campaign period draws near, one question lurks on many people’s mind: who will be brave enough to go upstage and sit beside the other presidential candidates at the risk of antagonizing Duterte fanatics?
It won’t be a simple act because in doing so they put their candidacies on the line in the southern regions who see in Duterte their first real chance of finally seeing one of their own in Malacanang. (CHITO A. FUENTES)
It would be good if the lead would be too wide that other candidates would just throw their towel in complete surrender. This way this may solve some of their heavy heartaches first and foremost Roxas who is eyeing it since 6 years ago.
ReplyDelete