Higher credibility rating spelled victory for lesser-known candidates

This year’s recently concluded elections were full of surprises!

In the presidential race, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, a reluctant candidate, won by a landslide. In contrast, Vice President Jojo Binay, initially the consistent front-runner among presidentiables in SWS’ and Pulse Asia’s preelection surveys, placed fourth in the unofficial vote count. More surprising was that the little-known Leni Robredo, also a hesitant candidate like Duterte, trounced her four popular and politically entrenched opponents: Senators Bongbong Marcos, Alan Peter Cayetano, Gregorio Honasan and Antonio Trillanes in the vice presidential derby. The same thing happened in the third district of Nueva Ecija.  First time congressional candidate Ria Vergara, a successful local entrepreneur, beat Aurelio Umali, the three-termer governor of Nueva Ecija.

To be sure, candidates who participated in the elections have their own beautiful platform or program of government. Some even spoke of and promised nirvana for the voting public. But what made Duterte, Robredo and Vergara click with the electorate and win over their adversaries who bared programs and projects no different from theirs? For me, there is no secret formula to their winning. It just happened that today’s mature and intelligent voters believe their words and promises more than their opponents’.

—PRUDENCIO E. MAGPAYO, Ofelia Village, Project 8, Quezon City