The homestretch

“Letting emotion get into it isn't part of my game. Letting animosity or a rivalry come into it, that's all for the show.”

—Michael Chandler

By Alex P. Vidal

THERE is no other exciting subject matter to tackle nowadays other than the May 9 presidential election, with barely a month to go. 

Covid-19 has taken a back seat in national discourse, and local politics isn’t so sellable in as far as headlines are concerned due to lack of competitions and tough rivalries.

Each passing day, emotions run high and the race for Malacanang’s top post is getting intense and dramatic with everyone watching on tenterhooks the next move of the main players in the national politics.

The decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to remain neutral, or not to endorse any presidential candidate, is unprecedented. No Filipino president in recent memory has refused to pick a successor to support in the election.

He may have a valid reason: it’s too “risky” to publicly reveal his preference for the next president, especially for someone who is facing a tough battle in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the controversial killings of drug addicts during his six-year incumbency.

Especially if there’s no absolute certainty that PDP-Laban and Nacionalista Party standard bearer, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., will roll past the surging Vice President Leni Robredo despite the lopsided surveys.

The homestretch in any race really provides the biggest and most exciting sparks, especially if two top contenders are locked in a neck and neck rivalry and both camps aren’t entertaining any possibility of a defeat.

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I refuse to support the decision of the Philippine Consulate General in New York to teach members of the Filipino community self defense for free. 

I learned that there was a scheduled “session” two weeks ago in the RP Consulate on Fifth Avenue regarding the proposal by no less than Consul General Elmer Cato to equip us with the basics of hand to hand combat in the light of the recent upsurge of assaults against the Asians, especially Pinoys, in the Big Apple.

My contention is that self defense is useless in the face of clear and present danger; it cannot save the life of any elderly who might be mugged and brutalized by thugs and the so-called “Asian haters” roaming in the streets.

Not all Filipinos can defend themselves from drug addicts and homeless maniacs determined to physically attack them anywhere and anytime in New York. 

An elderly victim, for instance, can’t slug it out toe-to-toe against a superior assailant as manifested by the recent incidents where the attackers were mostly younger, faster and stronger.

The best option is still prevention: avoid places that aren’t frequented by the crowd; do the transactions (grocery, non-medical appointments, ATM withdrawal, etcetera) in the morning and not after sunset; look around while walking in avenues frequented by homeless individuals and drug addicts.

If the attack is inevitable, call 911 or run away (for the younger ones who don’t want to clash with the attackers physically).

Also, we must protect our head and heart with our hands when the mauling occurs after we failed to run away so that we won’t instantly die just in case the attackers are carrying bladed and blunt weapons.

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If contending parties in the election—or even the government—will file cases for violation of Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against incumbent public officials running for reelection, it will be misinterpreted as politicking. 

If the cases are meritorious and valid, why not file them before the election period? 

Also, if the government intends to collect estate taxes against any family, why wait for the election period to commence the collection proceedings? It could have been done much earlier when there’s not much controversy attached to the issue.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)