A look on the 2019 Senatorial Candidates

By:  Kiara Reyes

 

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The race for the midterm elections on May 13, 2019 is now the main focus than any other in every media channel and social media platform. These 62 aspiring candidates have formally commenced their crusades on Tuesday, February 12.

With a huge variety of competitors, some hopeful senatorial candidates have made it to the “favourite’s” list. These candidates are competing for 12 Senate positions.

Among the 62 candidates, 51 of them are male while 11 are female.

Seven of them are longing for a second term, while another seven candidates are aiming to return to Senate once again. Eight of them have never won, but remained hopeful since the year 1987.

Simultaneously, 40 of them are running for representative without precedent for their political profession. 12 of them are involved of either the resistance slate or any of the 3 organization line-ups. Six of these candidates have served under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

 

The Senate Slate includes five from PDP-Laban, eight from Hugpong-National, another eight from Otso Diretso, 11 from Du It Pilipinas, and 13 from Hugpong-Davao Region. The remaining senatorial aspirants are independent candidates.

 

In less than 60 days, the 12 senators would have been chosen. The Comelec is expecting 63 Million voters and an estimate of 1.9 Million of these votes are from our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

 

On a recent survey, 25% of the respondents agreed that the new senators must not be “corrupt”.  The second trait that they look for is having concern for the poor. This gained 22% answers. The third quality is acquiring good personal characteristics with 21%. The last trait was trustworthiness which garnered 21% responses as well.

 

Dindo Manhit, Lead Convenor of Democracy Watch and president of Stratbase ADR Institute, said, “We deserve leaders who are not corrupt, have good character and trustworthy.”

 

It is now up to the citizens to be informed of the righteous candidates to be elected as the new senators of the country. Considering and evaluating an aspiring senatorial representatives’ capability and trustworthiness is an obligation of a voter. Even one vote can make a difference.

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ORACLE™, MARCH 2019

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