Pink is the color of hope

Los Baños, Laguna — Nobody ever predicted that, at the height of this election season, the whole country will be tinged with different shades of the color pink.

Sure, many expected that Vice President Leni Robredo would run for president, and that she would be the standard-bearer of the opposition.

After all, as vice president, she has demonstrated the qualities that make her a good leader—from her ability to respond to crisis, to her resourcefulness in turning her office into one of the best performing executive agencies; from her resoluteness in dealing with political and legal harassment, to the dignity that she has displayed in the diplomatic stage.

After all, too, she has already won an election against all odds, defeating political heavyweights including Bongbong Marcos himself. During that campaign, which saw her skyrocket from zero to 31 percent in a matter of months, we saw a glimpse of her charisma; her way with words, her way with people; her provincial middle-class upbringing that allowed her to relate with people all over the country—and, conversely, allowed people all over the country to relate to her.

Even so, nobody anticipated the energy she would elicit, the crowds her rallies would draw, the rallies that those crowds would organize themselves even without her; the sheer enthusiasm that they would carry.

Nobody imagined that politicians across the political spectrum would rally behind her.

And nobody imagined that beyond the elitistas that she and her supporters have been misleadingly stereotyped, she will be backed by an unprecedented collation of farmers and fisherfolk; indigenous and labor movements; academics and artists; Bangsamoro leaders and Catholic groups; truly people from all walks of life.

What can explain the pink movement?

First of all, enough people have noticed. They noticed that despite the president’s pambabastos, the vice president remained dignified; despite her numerous opponents’ panlalait, she remains undeterred. And despite the years of paninira, her record and her character remain unimpeachable.

Also, enough people have had enough of the tyranny, corruption, and incompetence of the past six years, as well as the chronic failures of our elitist political system. Every administration will have its share of creditable achievements—but Mr. Duterte’s legacy will be his murderous drug war, his failed COVID response, and his attack on our institutions.

Moreover, enough people remember who the Marcoses really are and what they stand for: cronyism, corruption, torture, and other unspeakable human rights violations.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, especially in the weeks ahead, enough people are volunteering to make the above known to more people, mindful that, in Leni’s words, “radikal ang magmahal.” Beyond the crowds in her rallies, the house-to-house movement is what may ultimately make a difference in these elections.

We do not know if her momentum will be enough to carry her to victory. Although the surveys can be wrong, their findings suggest that it will still be an uphill battle; beyond the electoral math, she will have to overcome political machineries and machinations, and alas, the Commission on Elections itself has not inspired confidence.

We also do not know whether, if she wins, her promises will be fulfilled. For all my admiration for VP Leni; for all my faith in her, I have to say that support for her is only as good as her fidelity to the principles she has shown throughout the years.

These words of caution notwithstanding, her candidacy is already a victory in the sense that it has revealed what remains possible in our country amid attacks on our democracy, the truth, our history, and our freedoms.

This is a country where a middle-class lawyer who used to take the bus to Naga and stay in a dorm in Diliman can aspire to run for the presidency and attract the support of millions of people.

This is a country where people could still freely gather in the color of their choosing and make their voices heard, whether in Pasig or Pangasinan.

This is a country where we still call out a liar and a thief when he tries to return to the scene of his family’s crime.

And yes, this is still a country where our votes—yours and mine—can make a difference.

And so, as I head to the polls on May 9, I shall carry with me the conviction that Leni Robredo can win, and with the even stronger belief that regardless of the outcome, our support for her can spell the difference between darkness and light.

For, indeed, Leni Robredo and the pink movement she has inspired have already given our country something that we will need more of in the coming months and years:

Hope.

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glasco@inquirer.com.ph