I sympathize with Bongbong

By Alex P. Vidal

“Any mind that is capable of real sorrow is capable of good.”—Harriet Beecher Stowe

IF not for those surveys showing Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. “leading comfortably” over his closest rival, Vice President Leni Robredo, the only son of the late former Philippine President Ferdinand Sr. would be experiencing sleepless nights, if not depression, now that there are strong indications the “yellow magic” in 1986 might be duplicated and repeated by the “pink magic” in 2022.

Marcos Jr., an intelligent and charismatic man, never lost in the surveys.

Since last year, he dominated almost all the surveys from the Social Weather Station (SWS) and Pulse Asia, among other polls. Thank you surveys.

A survey generally is defined as the act of examining a process or questioning a selected sample of individuals to obtain data about a service, product, or process.

In the May 9 presidential race, the surveys are data collection collect information from a targeted group of people about their opinions, behavior, or knowledge of the candidates.

Common types of example surveys are written questionnaires, face-to-face or telephone interviews, focus groups, and electronic (e-mail or website) surveys.

-o0o-

Election surveys, however, in the age of social media are different.

Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, the Philippines was the first country in Asia to hold elections, and many Filipinos continue to participate enthusiastically in the political process, noted the Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs.

For a country where suffrage is a right rather than an obligation, data from the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) indicates that a sizable majority of Filipinos vote, ranging from 64 percent in 2007 to 90 percent in 1987.

The International IDEA database also shows that the average turnout in Philippine legislative and presidential elections from 1945 to 2010 was slightly higher (at 78.4 percent and 77.8 percent, respectively) than the Asian average of 70.8 percent and 75.6 percent, respectively.

Surveys showing he had a 52 percent approval rating was more than enough to make Marcos Jr. feel good—if that is the intention of his publicists and spin masters who don’t want to see him down in the dumps.

Again, thank you surveys. At least Marcos Jr. will have something to hold on to in these crucial moments.

-o0o-

But if we place ourselves in the shoes of Marcos Jr., we might be surprised to discover and realize it’s the worst place to be in with barely five weeks before the May 9, 2022 election.

By imagining the person who beat you for vice president in 2016 as the same person who’s now breathing down your neck, is already torture.

If she was able to put you away in 2016 when she wasn’t yet in power, what’s the assurance she can’t do it again in 2022 now that she has the complete “resibo” (receipt) as a performing and service-oriented vice president?

Publicly, Marcos Jr.’s demeanor tells us he’s intrepid, unmoved by the mind-boggling crowd that has been phenomenally forming as a sea of humanity in the head-turning rallies of his rival, Vice President Robredo.

Privately—or when he is alone with his wife in the bedroom—Marcos Jr. must be thinking and worrying like the late death convict Leo Echegaray, who wasn’t sure if he would be saved by President Erap’s last-minute call while waiting for the lethal injection.

What if those phenomenal pink crowds that have recently made headlines for Robredo will translate into actual votes on May 9?

Will the surveys that have almost cemented my “sure” victory still matter?

Can these surveys still do wonders for me on May 9?

My sympathy goes to former Senator Bongbong Marcos Jr.

-o0o-

After four weeks, five top Russian military generals have been reportedly killed while trying to overrun Ukraine.

The immoral, unjustified, illegal invasion Vladimir Putin thought would be executed quickly has extended and more misguided and disoriented Russian soldiers have been killed.

Meanwhile, desperate Russian mercenaries have been killing innocent Ukrainian children, women, elderly.

The genocide is being monitored and televised in the age of technology. Everything has been recorded for all the world to witness. The war criminals will be indicted for brutal war crimes if they can survive the heroic resistance from the Ukraine people.

Sooner or later, good will triumph over evil. God works in mysterious ways.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)