Whose Endorsement Mattered Most

During the campaign, endorsements from everybody was sought by all aspirants. From the national candidates to the local aspirants, getting the right endorsement mattered. A friend from San Juan and an Iglesia Ni Kristo member told me how they toed the church's line. I was told that Erap was disappointed with this. In fact, they gave the Erap-Binay tandem a big fat zero. I was also told that in the New Ear precincts, Erap and Binay suffered the same fate. Obviously, the INK is the only church that observes command voting.

Gibo Teodoro may have gotten Quiboloy's nod but look at where he is now. Quiboloy is not what he portrays himself to be. God may have punished him for using His name in vain. I don't think Quiboloy's endorsement will not be sought again at least in the near future. Teodoro's poor showing is testimony to a false prophet. His endorsements of Erap and GMA were mere coincidence. Beauty queens may have endorsed Gibo, but this is a presidential race, not a beauty contest. I would rather see Gibo run for the senate first before gunning for the highest post of the land. Mike Vekarde was more cautious. He probably saw where Manny Villar presidential bid would end up. So instead of endangering his congressional aspiration, he chose not to endorse any candidate. After all, majority of his followers favored Erap.

What about the celebrity endorsements, how did they fare? Manny Villar thought that the big guns would help him weather the presidential race. Revillame, Dolphy and Pacman did not help a bit. Attached to the three were moral issues which the majority of voters shunned. Pouring millions in concert-cum-rally did not help. Those who went attended because of the bands and celebrities and nothing else. The number of attendees did not translate to votes. Villar lost massively. Loren Legarda had Sarah Geronimo as endorser but she is no Judy Ann Santos. Geronimo did not have the same influence as Judy Ann's. Geronimo's endorsement also was not able to lift up Legarda's public image.

Noynoy Aquino may have a celebrity sister. Kris maybe a scandal-magnate and tactless at times, but that's what makes her credible because she just cannot keep a secret. She's as transparent as she can be. You must admit that Kris's endorsement of my favorite congresswoman, Risa hontiveros has done wonders for Risa. She's virtually unknown in the national level. She doesn't have a political pedigree and yet is still there in a strong 13th place. But Kris nor the likes of Regine Velasquez and the other stars was Noynoy's best endorser, the fact of the matter is that Noynoy has the legacy of his parents to thank. Of course he also has his clean name that convinced people he is a worthy president. Despite the "trash" thrown at him by the likes of Bayad Muna and Pacquiao, he held his own. The people took his sincerity and his message of hope. At a time when hope is the only thing we have, a leader who can inspire is what we need.

So there, that's how endorsements succeeded and failed in this elections. At the end of the day, the voter relied on themselves and the promise of a new life. We all know the trials and hardships we will be facing, but I'm sure we won't squander it this time around. We are now more vigilant and participatory in the dealings of our government. The patience we showed in enduring the heat for hours just to cast our votes showed that we are definitely focused on real change.

Whose endorsement mattered most? It is ours, the electorate's endorsement that mattered most.