With expected win, Nancy Binay could pull a surprise

With the expected victory of political neophyte Nancy Binay in the recent senatorial race, the power of the Binay brand has been proven anew.

Actually, it would have been logical if her sister Abby, who was reelected for her second term as a Makati representative, was the one the United Nationalist Alliance fielded in the race due to her more solid experience and relevant educational background. But Vice President Jojo Binay obviously knows his political capital can help elect any member of his family for any position.

Of course, the pressure is now on Senator Nancy to prove that she shares more than the skin shade of her father. If she proves to be an asset in the new Senate, it will shut up her detractors and add more value to the Binay brand. Inversely, if she proves to be nothing more than “your sister or mother” in the Senate, unable to contribute anything significant (either in the debates or in passing new legislation), it might cause a backlash on her father’s presidential plans in 2016. The public could take it to mean that her father had abused its trust.

For our nation’s sake, I really hope she’ll prove to be a welcome surprise.

—ED DAMES, edames.fci@gmail.com