MY TWO CENTS – The many ‘first’ for new President

The most contentious presidential campaign in Philippine history has come to pass, and exactly 90 days after he began his campaign in the wee hours of the morning in Manila’s Tondo slums, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is looking at being Malacanang’s occupant, the first ever from the island of Mindanao.
Miriam Defensor Santiago was so right when she predicted that social media will determine the outcome of this campaign. This is the first presidential election where twists and turns were conditioned or influenced by citizen opinions on social media. Tweets, Instagram and Facebook status posts condemning the use of presidential helicopters by Kris Aquino for the Liberal party’s campaign were promptly replied to by Presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma, and eventually, the President himself defending the use by his sister and eventually, Kris Aquino herself asking her fans to protect her from online critics. The reactions of the administration to the posts and criticisms actually helped spread the post and heightened the criticism, providing the fodder to help things snowball daily as more reactions from Malacanang fed it. It was not how to handle online criticism. Likewise, the Duterte campaign will be remembered for its cultivation of a horde of committed and passionate social media supporters ready to defend him from critics and correct any misimpressions.
Rodrigo Duterte is the first successful presidential candidate from a left leaning political party. The Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas –Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAN) is considered a moderate left party, espousing social democratic principles and a federal form of government similar to the social democratic parties in positioned left of center in Europe. In the succeeding days, expect its ranks to increase from the current three representatives in Congress and one Senator. Of all the political parties, both the PDP LABAN and the Liberal party have a clear program and agenda. It must be noted that PDP Laban which had its beginnings among anti dictatorship politicians and reform advocates during the Marcos regime, with its coming out in the candidacy of Aquilino Pimentel in 1978. It is expected that Duterte will lead a larger coalition of left forces in pushing important reforms, particularly, the shift to a federal form of government, which is the cornerstone of the PDP-Laban’s governance agenda from its early days.
Digong is the first incumbent city mayor to win the presidency. The last viable contender for the presidency who is occupied a mayoralty post was the late Manila Mayor Arsenio Lacson, who dies suddenly a few years shy of his 50th birthday back in the early 60s. Except for Cory Aquino and Fidel Ramos, all successful presidential candidates were Senators.
Duterte is the first Mindanaoan to assume the presidency. Mindanao leaders have often been considered invisible in Philippine politics, with the Senate and the executive departments often dominated by Luzon-based counterparts. it does not help that each annual national budget is effectively allocated with a third for Metro Manila, another third for Luzon and the balance to be divided between the Visayas and Mindanao. Thus, resources and opportunities are not balanced. It must be remembered that the closest Mindanao had to a president was the late former Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez, who stood for, yet failed to secure the Nacionalista Party nomination to run for the presidency in 1965. The nomination went to Senator Ferdinand Marcos, who beat incumbent Diosdado Macapagal.