Macho power vs woman power

The most recent surveys of Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations (SWS) show Digong Duterte (DD) and Bongbong Marcos (BM) as the candidates to beat. Given that Election Day is just a week away, it would seem that only the closest candidates, Grace Poe (GP) and Leni Robredo (LR), have a credible chance to overtake them.

Duterte vs Poe. Interestingly, the two men, especially DD, are strong-willed, hyperbolic, magnetic, unorthodox and brash in their language and focus, while the women are polished, compassionate, motherly, loving and humble.

Parenthetically, in the United States, with their sweep of the recent primaries in the vote-rich Northeast, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton will probably face off in the US presidential election in November. Uncannily, they also typify the phenomenon of macho power vs woman power.

To demonstrate the phenomenon, let me cite sample quotes from the candidates:

On peace and order, DD: “…I will get rid of criminality, drugs and corruption. Just give me three to six months and I will do it for you… If I become president, it will be bloody because I will order the killing of all criminals… I will recommend to Congress the restoration of the death penalty by hanging in public.”

GP: “As a mother, I am deeply troubled by the proliferation of crime and drugs. Like every parent, I cannot rest easy until my children are home safe at night. For me, the elimination of drugs and crime is not just a job. It is my personal crusade. I will make sure the police have the required discipline and skills to immediately deal with crime…”

On corruption, DD: “… Actually, year after year, the appropriations are good… Kung walang (If there is no) corruption, straight implementation, there’s really no problem in our country. We can survive and we can do it… If I succeed [in resolving crime and corruption] perhaps that would be my greatest contribution to the country, but if I fail, kill me.”

GP: “It is only right to continue the fight against corruption. We will hold the corrupt accountable, whether they be friend or foe… To strengthen transparency in government, I will push for the passage of the Freedom of Information bill…”

On poverty alleviation, DD: “…We would like to build food terminals and we would like … Land Bank to come in and give money to the farmers, then … the Department of Trade to help in the establishment of credit unions, cooperatives… I will continue the 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program). In fact, I will even enhance it so it will benefit more Filipinos…”

GP: “Kung ako ang magiging pangulo, ang prayoridad ko talaga ay maibsan ang kahirapan. Yan ang puno’t dulo ng problema natin sa ating bayan.” (If I become president, my priority is to alleviate poverty. This is the root cause of our country’s problems.)  … We will not only continue [the 4Ps], we will strengthen it. We need to expand the coverage of the conditional cash transfer program but we will make sure the beneficiaries will get livelihood [so] they can draw additional income… ”

On foreign relations, DD:  “We cannot afford to war with China… I will sit down with [China] and talk. We can have a joint exploration… Bababa ako, sasakay ako ng jet ski, dala-dala ko yung flag ng Pilipino at pupunta ako doon sa airport nila tapos itanim ko (I will get off, ride a jet ski carrying the Philippine flag, and go to their airport and I will plant it [in the Spratlys], then I would say, ‘This is ours and do what you want with me…’ If I become the president, go ahead and sever [diplomatic ties with America and Australia].”

GP:  “… Palakasin natin ang ating (We should strengthen our) military. Kausapin natin ang (Let us talk with) China constructively, pero (but) let’s take a leadership role in the Asean so that we can follow a particular code and conduct that will be followed by the other countries in the Asean.”

On women, DD: “P***ng-ina, sayang ito. Ang nagpasok sa isip ko, ni-rape nila, pinagpilahan nila doon. Nagalit ako kasi ni-rape, oo, isa rin ’yun. Pero napakaganda, dapat ang mayor muna ang mauna. Sayang.” (Son of a b*tch, what a waste. What came to my mind was, they raped her, they lined up. I was angry because she was raped, that’s one thing. But she was so beautiful, the mayor should have been first. What a waste.)

GP:  “…[D]apat mas maraming mga babae … ang bigyan ng pagkakataon sa gobyerno, sapagkat tayo ay nakakaramdam. Inaalagaan natin ang ating pamilya…” (There should be more women given an opportunity to serve in government because we have empathy. We take care of our family…)

Marcos vs Robredo. On vision, BM: “…What the country needs now are better leaders, leaders that seek to unite, not to divide, leaders that look to the future, not to the past…”

LR: “…Isa po akong ina, at hindi ko po papabayaan iyong aking mga anak, hindi ko po papabayaan ang bayan.” (I am a mother and I will not abandon my children, I will not abandon the country.)

On the role of the VP, BM:  “…[K]ung bibigyan ako ng pagkakataon, hihingin ko po na ako ay magpatakbo ng DOLE. Dahil sa aking nakikita, ang trabaho ang isa sa pinakamalaking problema na hinaharap ng taong bayan…” (If I were given the opportunity, I will ask that I run [the labor department] because from what I see, employment is one of the biggest problems our countrymen are faced with…)

LR: “…[S]ana hindi na lang cabinet position yung ibigay [ng presidente] sa akin. Sana po ako yung ipa-take charge niya sa pag streamline nang lahat ng anti-poverty programs…” (I hope I am not assigned a Cabinet position [by the president]. I hope I am assigned to take charge of streamlining all the anti-poverty programs…)

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