How to form a political alliance

But who’s going to initiate the talks to form a political alliance? How will they pick the common candidates for president and vice-president? Will the choice be based on what criteria or agreements?”

These questions crossed my mind during the first Comelec PiliPinas vice-presidential debate, after hearing Rizalito David throw a challenge at presidential contenders and fellow vice-presidential candidates for them to get united to defeat the tandem of former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

I admire the honesty of David. He knows what a tough and uphill battle it is to beat the Marcos-Duterte tandem, the frontrunners in the latest surveys on the respondents’ choice of president and vice-president in the May 9 elections.

I guess there is a possibility of the other candidates forming a political coalition to collectively field a single presidential bet and vice-presidential contender if the following conditions are met:

The candidates would set aside their inter-party differences;

Have a common agenda or shared policy consensus that would capture the imagination of voters;

Keep their personal ambitions and egos in check, and

Abide by the coalition agreements.

Unless and until they come together, they will never come up with a strong, credible, and united national opposition, and a truly democratic Philippines would still seem a distant dream for now.

REGINALD B. TAMAYO,
Marikina City,
[email protected]