Generosity & patience made me reconsider the senatorial candidates to vote for this upcoming May 2019 elections

I came across Ding Velasco’s post from Inday Varona’s timeline.The post struck me because it was generosity and patience from my readers that made me reconsider my original list of senatorial candidates to vote for.

My original list on April 13, 2019 did not include all the #OtsoDiretso senatorial candidates but I read the replies to my tweet and I got persuaded to vote straight. I set aside my personal feelings towards the Liberal Party in consideration of the bigger picture of the good of the country. Most of all, I did not want the Senate to be transformed into a super majority just like the lower House. Hence, my choice is a viable opposition.

READ: I am voting to keep the Senate as the last bastion of checks and balances

When I shared my original list, I did not mention why I did not include Mar Roxas, Romy Macalintal, and Gary Alejano because I was still studying the pros and cons. It saddens me that some of the rabid supporters of some or all of the Otso Diresto Opposition Alliance slate are sharing negative stories on Senatorial Candidate Neri Colmenares.  Inday Varona elaborates  that “it is self defeating to retreat into a fortress, where you mount barricades and launch attacks on your allies, when you should be sallying forth to create new unities.”

Maybe we don’t like to vote for Neri Colmenares or some of the Opposition candidates but there is no need to promote that dislike. Just focus on campaigning for your candidates. If you are a supporter of some or all of the Otso Diretso, please read Ding Velasco’s post which I am republishing in full with his permission.

We are on the last 3 week homestretch. Early overseas voting trend show Ocho Direcho gained much ground or may even be leading. The only advantage by Hugpong is their unlimited cash for TV ads that is slowly being overhauled by the superhuman efforts of more than 60,000 Ocho Direcho Volounteers nationwide. The real organizational cracks are not with us, but with Hugpong when even Sara Butangera threatens to leave the Hugpong campaign. In short despite the shortage of campaign cash – tinatagpi-tagpi ang availability of collaterals and materials … we really are doing good kaya sana iwasan na ang mga actions that may divide.

We all have come a long way, achieved so much together. That in this homestretch – it is more necessary to set aside our personal preferences and idiosyncrasies in consideration of preserving unity.

I am no Leftie nor a Communist, but since the entire Left has aligned with us ProDems, we must avoid disrupting the tenuous tendrils of cooperation.

We are all for our magnificent Ocho, l see no need to highlight one’s hatred of our friends from the Left.

Take the case of Neri Colmenares, he is no hero in my personal dictionary but Neri has gone to the Supreme Court on his own volition to question many acts of this Administration in protection of the Rule of Law and of our rights as citizens in more times than all the entire Hugpong bunch ever did and certainly more than the effort of some of our Ocho candidates with the exception of Gary Alejano, Chel Diokno, Pilo Hilbay and Erin Tañada. His love for this country is alive and properly placed too.

To avoid any misunderstanding, l am no Neri campaign manager, l am just saying that voting for him as the sole addition to our Ocho slate is the least damaging. I am also saying that in the instance that you don’t like Neri, there is no need to bandy that dislike, because if you do – you are then helping to increase the likelihood of someone from Hugpong take the place of Neri in someone’s else’ ballot and you will be alienating the hordes of Neri fanatics on the Philippine Left who will junk our entire Ocho Direcho.

I wrote this because someone from a jeepload of Bayan Muna campaigners asked me why some of our Ocho influencers are junking Neri – so they might as well junk the entire Ocho Team since there’s no respect. Its a simple “quid pro quo”. I had no answer, but l resolved to write this post in an effort to convey my dread that some of us maybe rocking the boat too much, that our Ocho Slate loses on our personal actions. Prudence then, is advised.

All l ask from some is to temporarily set aside those personal feelings in consideration of the bigger picture of nationhood; most especially in the level when one is already a SocMed influencer. Please make posts that unite us, please.

Salamat po, I wish one and all a Hearty Easter weekend.