MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Vice President Leni Robredo, the acknowledged leader of the political opposition, a human rights lawyer, and four prominent political figures were included in a shortlist of possible presidential and vice presidential candidates of the 1Sambayan against the administration ticket in the 2022 national elections.
In an online event on Saturday that coincided with the celebration of the country鈥檚 123rd Independence Day, the newly formed political coalition said it would put up a united slate of 鈥渄emocratic forces鈥� to rectify President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 supposed errors in governance.
Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, one of the president鈥檚 most strident critics, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel 鈥淐hel鈥� Diokno, and Sen. Grace Poe were also on the list.
Diokno, son of the late anti-Marcos opposition leader Sen. Jose 鈥淜a Pepe鈥� Diokno, lost in the senatorial race under the opposition ticket 鈥淥tso Diretso鈥� in the 2019 midterm polls.
Poe, on the other hand, has joined the majority bloc in the Senate after challenging Duterte for the presidency in 2016.
2 from supermajority
1Sambayan included two ranking members of the pro-Duterte supermajority in the House of Representatives 鈥� House Deputy Speakers Vilma Santos-Recto and Eddie Villanueva.
Former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, one of 1Sambayan鈥檚 convenors, said more names may be added to the list as the coalition looked beyond 鈥渨innability鈥� in selecting the best candidates.
鈥淐haracter, capability, and track record are also well-considered,鈥� he said.
鈥淔rom these choices, 1Sambayan, the coalition members and eventually the public, can have a say on who they believe will usher in the changes they hope for,鈥� Del Rosario said.
He said Robredo and the five others had agreed to support whoever would be chosen as the official presidential and vice presidential bets of the coalition.
鈥楧ue diligence鈥� next
鈥淲e have listened to the problems and urgent concerns that Filipinos are hoping the next leader [of the country] will address,鈥� Del Rosario said, adding that they were also conducting consultations with migrant workers, labor unions, youth organizations, and other sectors.
Fr. Albert Alejo, also a convenor of 1Sambayan, said the group would interview the nominees, conduct 鈥渄ue diligence鈥� and come up with a 鈥渄ossier鈥� for each of them to finalize its lineup.
Alejo said they would also use information from by various interest groups, survey companies, online polls and those that would be generated during their public discussions.
鈥淚f we could come up with a consensus, then that鈥檚 it,鈥� the Catholic priest said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not looking for saints, but the best [candidate] we could choose given the situation.鈥�
In a brief video message, Robredo said she supported the group鈥檚 call for unity and stressed the need to include in the discussions the groups and individuals who did not share their political beliefs.
Nancy, Isko declined
鈥淚 believe that the answer to our problems is not one, but everyone,鈥� she said in Filipino. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 have a space for others in our hearts and don鈥檛 recognize that we all have a common aspiration for every Filipino, this aspiration will never be realized.鈥�
Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, lead convenor of 1Sambayan, said Sen. Nancy Binay and Manila Mayor Francisco 鈥淚sko Moreno鈥� Domagoso, who were originally included as possible candidates, declined to be nominated.
Sharing his experience during the candidacy of former President Fidel Ramos in 1992, Carpio said he was optimistic that financial pledges from campaign donors would start coming in once 1Sambayan has decided on the 鈥渧iable candidates,鈥� including a full 12-member senatorial slate, 鈥渂ecause they agree with us that we cannot allow another six years of a Duterte administration.鈥�
The retired magistrate, who had locked horns with Duterte over the West Philippine Sea issue, said the group would also organize its own political machinery to campaign for the entire opposition ticket.
Shortly after the list was disclosed, Santos and Poe separately announced that they were declining the nominations.
鈥淚 sincerely thank 1Sambayan for considering me,鈥� Santos said in a statement. 鈥淚 have no plans for 2022. I am focused on assisting Lipa City in its vaccination program and in providing assistance to families who need it most.鈥�
鈥淔urthermore, I have my legislative duties to attend to,鈥� said the former three-term Lipa mayor.
Poe said she was thankful for the people鈥檚 trust in her.
鈥淏ut I have no plans to run for president in the coming elections,鈥� she said in a statement in Filipino.
鈥淎s best as I can as a senator, I want to focus my attention on lifting our people out of this pandemic,鈥� she said.
To raise eyebrows
In a tweet, Trillanes said it was a 鈥済reat honor鈥� to be considered a possible presidential candidate of the opposition coalition.
鈥淲e trust in the wisdom of the convenors of 1Sambayan and we believe that this is the sole vehicle for the opposition鈥檚 victory in 2022,鈥� Trillanes said.
Political analyst Manolo Quezon III, a columnist for the Inquirer, said 1Sambayanan鈥檚 choices would be questioned by people who 鈥渟elf-identify as oppositionists鈥� and that its shortlist would 鈥渟urely raise eyebrows among the various factions鈥� of the opposition.
So who are the non-oppositionists in the group?
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the thing: it鈥檚 as much the different groups that consider themselves opposition making the shortlist as anything, so this is what鈥檚 remarkable,鈥� Quezon said. 鈥淔or the minority identifying themselves as opposition these are the ones they collectively consider oppositionists.鈥�
But what鈥檚 important is to 鈥済et the process going because change is impossible if our crab mentality won鈥檛 change,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t will reveal a lot if the different groups can hold together long enough for the process to play out,鈥欌�� Quezon said.
鈥楩lexible pragmatism鈥�
Richard Heydarian, another political commentator and Inquirer columnist, said the people on the shortlist showed the opposition鈥檚 鈥渇lexible pragmatism鈥� and a measure of its 鈥渄iscipline and unity鈥� when it considered both 鈥渆lectoral strength鈥� and broad base support.
鈥淭he list contains figures across the political spectrum in terms of social values, from liberal to religious conservative, but all share fundamental commitment to democratic values,鈥� he said.
Even without Poe and the Manila mayor, 鈥渨hat we are seeing here is a semblance of discipline and unity on the part of the opposition, which has been rife with ideological divisions and petty rivalries through the years,鈥� Heydarian said.
The 鈥渂est chance鈥� for an opposition victory in the presidential and vice presidential races is 鈥渋f multiple allies of Duterte run in these elections,鈥� he said.
But, a single opposition ticket could pressure the administration to also put up 鈥渁 joint ticket with a formidable rival, including the Marcoses,鈥� according to Heydarian.
He said that with Poe and Santos declining to run for higher office next year, 鈥渢his is very much shaping up like a Leni-Trillanes or Leni-Diokno ticket.鈥�