Mother, Mother I Am Sick

By Alex P. Vidal  

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.”  —Ernest Benn 

NATIONAL and local candidates in the May 12, 2025 election—nuisance or serious—should be aware of their chances and be able to anticipate their fates this early.

Unless they are plain and simple ego trippers and nincompoops, candidates for any elective position with rationale and objective minds know if they are winnable or if their chances are nil, especially now that the official campaign period has blasted off and some of them are still eating the dust in credible and legitimate surveys.

The irrational and closed-minded candidates believe in their own invincibility and will normally refuse to acknowledge they can and will lose.

In their thinking, they’re always on top and nothing and nobody can beat them in any contest or election. Thus they will never lend credence to survey results and appeals from concerned friends and family members—unless favorable to them.

If they lag behind, they will only bellyache and discredit the surveys. These surveys can only be credible and realistic if they are the ones leading and “winning.”

“Mother, mother I am sick. Call the (mind) doctor very quick?”

These types of candidates are detached from reality. They are used to being hailed and glorified in pubic because of their past achievements that earned them applause and glowing recognition.

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To some extent, they believe their lofty standing in society can be translated into glorious public approval and sure victory in any election.

The superstar complex that gobbles up their egos gives them extra energy and confidence and bolsters their pathetic beliefs there’s no way the voters will not give them a resounding win.

We theorize senatorial candidates Rodante Marcoleta, Philip Salvador, Vic Rodriguez, Ariel Querubin, Jose Montemayor Jr., Raul Lambino, Norberto Gonzales, Bonifacio Bosita, Jimmy Bondoc, Ronnel Arambulo, Jerome Adonis, Apollo Quiboloy, Roberto Ballon, Angelo de Alban, David d’Angelo, Arnel Escobal are actually aware if they’re riding on a one-way trip train or in the luxury ship.

They haven’t been doing well in the surveys but have been brimming with confidence like Cyrus’ son Cambyses and Darius’ son Xerxes, giving campaign speeches left and right all over the archipelago, unfazed by the phenomenal popularity of candidates in the two leading political parties—Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas backed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and Partido Demokratiko Pilipino backed by former President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte.

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It’s too early to conclude, but all indications, analyses, circumstances and recent events have pointed to only one direction: another possible down-the-wire finish for candidates supported by President Marcos Jr. and ex-President Duterte.

Win or lose, it seems come-backing boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao is only enjoying what he is doing while going around and hooping from south to north vice versa shaking the hands of his legions of (mostly boxing) fans and watching them shriek as he waves and hands them cash for no apparent reason other than “to share my blessings.”

It’s normal for the former boxer to wish for the stars and entertain the possibility of winning once more now that he has embraced the politics of his rival in the 2022 presidential race, Mr. Marcos Jr.

If he won’t make it, we can see Pacquiao going back to the ring despite his age and “reviving” the career that gave him wealth and global fame.

Money doesn’t grow on trees, but for 46-year-old Pacquiao, an instant $1 million in a megabuck duel with any UFC star or the current champions in the WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and other alphabet boxing bodies is easy to collect as long as he isn’t yet 60. Mark our word.

In this elections season, by being there—to be seen and heard by the Filipinos from all corners of the globe—waging marvelous crusades and inspiring the hoi polloi to rise from obscurity and being underdog in life, is already a victory, something they probably couldn’t achieve if they were only running for village chiefs.

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WE received a “Social media warning” from Chase, a bank that offers banking services to consumers and businesses in the United States and a subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase, a global financial services company, informing us that “nearly 50 percent of scams reported to Chase originate on social media.”

“Many of our customers are reporting to us that scammers on social media asked them to send their payment with Zelle® or Wires,” Chase disclosed in an email.

“Social media is flooded with fake ads for things like merchandise, cars, property rentals and home services. These scams can show up in marketplaces, spoof websites and groups you follow.”

I added: “Keep in mind that sending money with Zelle® or a Wire transfer is just like sending cash. It’s highly unlikely you’ll get your money back if something goes wrong.”

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