The list of senators is equally bewildering. But, fortunately, I had an easier time choosing who my senators were. Aside from the usual names of candidates known for their competence, there was the Kapatiran.
Yes, the Kapatiran. I first encountered this group of political wannabes in one of De Quiros' articles. They were supposed to be a party of New Age politicians (as opposed to Traditional Politicians or "Trapos") who were hell-bent in proving that good guys, and girls, can win and thrive in public office. They were there because they had to make sure that the people must always have a choice. I think they have this moral code for integrity and good governance but, more importantly, what they have right now is a brand they can build on for the years to come.
For me, I instantly voted for all their candidates in the senate because I knew what they stood for. In the midst of anonymous faces and dubious personalities, I was willing to vote for a couple of unfamiliar faces because they were part of a party which was presumably different from all the rest. I think that speaks for what would become a very promising brand in the coming elections.
As for the party list system, I cannot, for the life of me, understand why several parties are representing the same group or demographic. That's not how it should work but that's what the COMELEC is allowing right now.
Papa had a ready explanation for this. It's just that some people choose to bastardize the system by setting up a party, gathering the necessary number of signatures, and making money out of it. A group of fragmented parties will do a poor job representing anyone but there's a lot of money to be had with this arrangement as compared to, say, having one party represent the entire group. So now we're stuck with several parties devoted to teachers, farmers etc.
By the way, I voted for a party representing indigenous peoples. Hope they get the job done.
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