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Down to two?

 IT’S too early, I know, to make a call on the race for the Philippine presidency, given that the campaign period has not even started and there’s still a lot of questions up in the air that remain unanswered.

But with the end of the substitution period, the withdrawal by a number of individuals and the substitution by others, the picture is a bit clearer for everyone to see: the main contenders for the presidency are, in no apparent order, Bongbong Marcos, Leni Robredo, Isko Moreno, Panfilo Lacson, Bong Go, and Manny Pacquiao, plus Leody de Guzman and retired Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr.

Bong Go and Antonio Parlade are the last-minute additions; Go decided to run for president after Sara decided to run for vice president, while Parlade decided to run for president because Bong Go decided to run.

Go, says Parlade, is part of the problem. Hmmm.

A friend of mine from GenSan who was happy that Duterte won in 2016 (and who voted for Cayetano) surprised me the other day when he said that he and his family were going for the BBM-Sara ticket in 2022. Why, I asked, when PRRD was backing Go as his presidential candidate? “Sara kami,” he said, “and di nga namin maintindihan bakit ganyan si Duterte.

Never rin naming iboboto si Bong Go: di nga niya alam papano mag-senador, mag-presidente pa?” (Parlade should be smiling).

He also said that his in-laws, who went Duterte-BBM in 2016, are now going BBM-Sara.

That honest “confession” validated what I was thinking – that the Duterte 16M of 2016 is cracking at the seams. Or has already cracked, as a gaming businessman told me. There are those who remain loyal to the President and will follow him as he follows Bong Go, but there are more of those who are now breaking with the President to follow his daughter, as she partners with BBM.

Frankly, that’s not good news for the DDS World which, I suspect, is still trying to make heads or tails over the last-minute substitution by Bong Go and the decision both of Go and the President to run under the PDDS party instead of the erstwhile “ruling” PDP-Laban.

In fact, PDP-Laban is now a mockery of its old self. (Just ask Sen. Bato dela Rosa for the definition of “mockery”).

But there’s more. I asked my GenSan friend another question: what if the speculation is true and someone gets BBM disqualified? Who will you vote for? His answer was even more surprising. “Mag-Ping or Leni na lang kami boss.” His reasons? He doesn’t think Bong Go is qualified, he thinks the same of Pacquiao, he thinks Isko is too ambitious, and he doesn’t know who Leody is.

Ping or Leni? The 16M coalition cracks some more.

Again, I have to repeat: it’s too early to make a call. Many things can happen between now and May: someone may still withdraw, some may still coalesce, heck (knock on wood) someone may still die. Any or all of these happening will surely throw every forecast out the window and make the race anybody’s ballgame. But, as things stand, as of this writing,

I think I can conclude (to myself at least) that at this early stage the race for the presidency is down to two.

Marcos vs. Robredo. The dream matchup I’ve always wanted to see.

Personal: Happy birthday Cousin ArmandThuy Dichosa; idol Juan Gomez de Liaño; Clifford Litang; Chester Taylor; Jindrex Rapacon; Warner Iliad Galvez; Jc Ulanday; Jomari-eleuterio Yllana; KuyaDrid Pilares De Castro; Mark caguioa and Alyssa Muhlach from Joseph Astrud Pineda; Pastor Ponciano Tabora of JIL Baliuag, Bulacan; Pastora Liwayway Villela of JIL Alfonso, Cavite; Pastora Rebecca Timog of JIL Diamond, Cavite; Lola Isabel Gesmundo; pare Jun Tembong Santiago Santos from Renz-Vince Guiyab; Jenifer Vivo from Jepoy Rivera; John Lester Guzman Abad; Lemuel Cordova; Irene Pascual mother of Cecille Pascual Ramos; SK Chairwoman Sandy Macaraeg of Barangay Cabuledatan, Malasiqui, Pangasinan; Rev. Fr. Sheldon Tabile, O.Carm; Rev. Fr. Gabby Chiniona; Malou Alejo mother of Tricia Alejo Cristobal; ate Wreytch Santos; John Paul Mendoza Adove son of Maylene Mendoza Pascual; Teresa Llausas-Cruz Trinidad from Remy Ellevera-Ariata Deguma; happy wedding anniversary Geenalyn and Roger Tallud; Imelda and Wilfredo Agravante; Via and Edward Yu; Melanie and Noel Nieva; Arvin Aveno and Laurez Sollestre Aveno; belated happy birthday Doris dela Pena from MhacMhac DeLa Peña (Nov. 17); get well soon tatay from Mark Masagnay

https://malayaph.com/news_opinion/down-to-two/