The morning after

Nora Soriño .

ILIGAN City — “There’s got to be a morning after/If we can hold on through the night…”

This is a song by Maureen McGovern, a ’72 song (this makes me “dated,” oh..)

And this song is applicable at all times epecially during these times when everybody is waiting for the morning as we have held on through the night even when many of us have “morning the night.” And many, too, have held their breaths till morning. Like the case of again Congressman Frederick Siao. He had to hold his breath then because there was a time when retired police director Leony Roy Ga caught up with him in the race. And it was only in the early morning when Siao had to let go of the chair he was holding on together with his breath.

So, the morning after each election day and night is a happy morning. This is for the winning candidates and their diehards.

And for the losers? Oh, no, there are no losers in an election fight in this country, it is said in jest. Only “they had been cheated of the victory.”

Take former senator Bongbong Marcos. He was leading on the night of the elections. And his smile was up to his ears when interviewed on TV because his lead was now over a million on the vice presidential race in the elections of 2016.

But when the night had slowly crept through the darkness, the morning after had his immiment victory over Leni Robredo go pffft.

Had Marcos held on through the night then?

Well,  on second thought, it’s not a question of holding on through the night. It’s a question of “strategy,” among other things.

Here’s a rough summary of the strategies the different teams had. This is from a viewfinder who’s really no viewfinder, if we view it from jaundiced eyes, hihihi.

1. “Deadma” strategy. If the other camp especially the ones who are not yet in that position comes across on some virifiable “truth.” Deadma means ignoring that ah, “truths.” Or play deaf. Or you can outright deny it if caught flatfooted. The latter term (“flatfooted”) does not mean that your feet are “flat.” Which is allied with “ugly” feet. For this is not about the “feet,” as if we don’t know, yeah?

2. Blame strategy. Blame the others. This is applicable to incumbents who can only do so much “because of the previous officials. kasi.” Even if the “ball” had been in their hands for a long time already.

3. Lie strategy. No further words to describe thus.

4. Appeal to the voters’ phobia. To a certain extent, many are plagued rightly or wrongly with Xenophobia and/or Islamophobia. Say that you have a “monopoly” of doing something about these phobias. Xenophobia is fear of the foreign body. Islamophobia is fear of the Muslims. Now while we’re at it, may we ask if there is “lumadophobia” or “Christianophobia?” In the process, you get millions and millions of “intelligent funds,” too. Again this is applicable to the incumbents. 

5. Show some force, both verbally, physically or otherwise.

6. Bombard the electorate with your name, be it through “epalization,” through commercials, “praise releases” especially if you are new to the game and has a problem with the name recall. Take then “mayorable” Marianito “Dodong” Alemania. It was at first a question of “who he?”

7. File a mountain of cases against the candidates or even the supporters who have irked you.

8. Do some damage control if you can hack something for the moment.  Duck, if you must like you’re on an earthquake. You can then go on a “reverse mode” when the time now seems to be right. What is “reverse mode” in ducking? It simply means the reverse of “ducking” which unfortunately this writer cannot articulate  for the moment.

9. Prepare the “moolah” even very early on if you don’t have plenty at the election season. So, if you “kukurap” be sure that you don’t get plenty of cases for them. Or hide the truths.’ Just like hiding the skeletons in your closets! Or sweep them under the rug, if they are “sweepable.”

These are just some partial list of strategies during this still feverish season. I know you have yours, too. And then be sure to hold on through the night even if the morning after is not really that good.

Because come to think of it, if you have held on through the night and the morning after finds you in not in a very good position, remember, there will come a time when the stars will favor your position.