MY TWO CENTS’ – It’s not 1992

With the passing of the great Filipino statesman Jovito Salonga many a political fortune of those in the post – EDSA generation will have come full circle. Salonga, widely regarded as the presidential candidate that united many progressive forces in the wake of the EDSA revolution, embodied the spirit of men and women who survived the worst of dictatorship and, along with the magnificent 12, mustered the political will to say no to the renewed treaty to extend the stay of United States military in Clark, Subic and other installations. This rejection of the proposed treaty was seen as his crowning achievement as Senate President. Sadly, this preceded his removal as Senate President, weakening his political strength in time for the 1992 elections. His second to the last showing in the field of 8 candidates, falling behind Imelda Marcos only showed that the broad left and nationalist alliance that carried him was not a force that could win Malacanang. He never returned to politics, preferring instead to focus on certain advocacies as the head of KilosBayan. None of his children entered politics as well.
1992 will go down as the year when the first test of the post-EDSA political generation, the first elections when its main actors would be vetted, and served as a proving ground to see whether the institutions forged under the new 1987 Constitution would bring about the aspired change. Cory magic was on its wane, and the reality of Showbiz politics represented by the electoral victory of entertainers led by vice President Joseph Estrada became real.  
1992 was therefore the year Philippine politics changed and took a turn towards where we are today. Those elections broke the dichotomy that heretofore was the culture of Philippine electoral politics. The dualism of the battles between the Nacionalista and Liberal parties in the pre-Marcos era, gave way to the dichotomy of pro and anti-Marcos in the 1980s. 
1992 unleashed the freedom to junk your party and candidate in favor of the stronger adversary. All of a sudden, Senatorial candidates of a particular slate were seen campaigning as guests of the other slate, and so on. It has gotten worse since then, with local party affiliates junking their national candidates for president, or Vice President, or both, and switching to the apparent winners just a few weeks prior to elections. Political loyalties have fallen prey to naked opportunism. What about platforms and programs? They have taken a seat further back.
Twenty five years since 1992, this crass behavior manifests itself in Malacanang’s likely switch from Mar Roxas to Grace Poe, and who knows, maybe Jejomar Binay or Rodrigo Duterte. It all depends on the surveys  and how various bloc voting groups behave as the last days of the campaign wind up.