I’ve been trying to make sense out of Senate Majority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s dire warning that opposition Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada, both recently charged before the Sandiganbayan, the country’s antigraft court, for their involvement in the pork barrel fund mess, may ultimately be “freed” under a Binay presidency.
More than being political allies, Senator Cayetano cited the Vice President’s purported silence on the issue (“Binay may free allies—Cayetano,” News, 6/9/14) as a primary indicator, apart from the latter’s rumored preference for Estrada as a possible running mate in the 2016 national elections.
Coming from a respected legislator whom the majority of young voters identified themselves with in past elections, Cayetano’s uncalled-for comment is not only pregnant with malice; it is downright fallacious. He is actually affirming a consequent scenario that is palpably without basis in truth and in fact, since the presidential poll is too far off, and the country is yet to render its verdict on who, among the prospective contenders, truly deserves the popular, sovereign mandate.
Let it be stressed that in the upcoming electoral exercise, the youth compose more than half of the voting population. Hence, it is their enlightened choices that will more likely reign supreme. This simple fact should thus bear more heavily on any campaign strategies. This is further accentuated by the quality of decisions among educated voters who put a higher premium on platforms, policies and issues over the wealth and popularity of candidates.
Defining the character of any potential opposition way before the critical campaign period is thus crucial in today’s social media-driven electorate. With Cayetano’s all-too-obvious bias, if not hostility, against the Vice President and his family, it is not surprising at all if he is already laying down the predicate of a future smear job against a more superior opponent.
At this point, among potential presidential candidates, the Vice President is leading in all surveys so far conducted by all reputable pollsters. Cayetano, on the other hand, is way below on the list of popular choices for president. That being the case, it would be much better if he just conduct himself in a fair and square manner. The voters, after all, take notice of whether a candidate for higher office is fake or authentic.
Instead of conjuring up worst scenarios once Binay gets elected as president and consistently jumping to conclusions on matters pertaining to the Vice President’s prerogatives and decisions, he should roll up his sleeves and buckle down to work and craft legislation for the common good. He has had enough of barking up the wrong trees.
Failure to do so, despite knowing the logical fallacies he obviously has fun peddling around with, would only mean one thing: Cayetano doesn’t deserve the support of the young voters. He does not have the moral high ground to call for reform and transformational government that this generation demands of their elected leaders.
—ALEXANDER LEAN D. DALOGA-OG,
lead convenor and national president,
Youth4Change Philippines,
University of the Philippines,
Diliman, Quezon City