But “in victory, magnanimity.” So spoke Winston Churchill, the wartime British prime minister who almost single-handedly kept the fighting spirit of the British people up, in the face of what seemed to be an unstoppable onslaught by Nazi Germany on all of Europe, the British isles included.
I’ve used the “in victory” part many times in my life, especially when I was involved with a professional team in the Philippine Basketball Association, but the “in defeat” part is new to me – not that our team never suffered any defeats (far from it) but because there was no place for defiance in the “battles” we fought on the hardcourt.
It is a little different though when one speaks of political battles, even wars such as the one that confronted Sir Winston. No wonder you hear talk of defiance in some social media circles now that the elections are a few zzzzs away and some people are beginning to prepare to confront having to deal with defeat.
Whoever loses in the May 9 elections for President will have a hard time accepting defeat, but for very different reasons.
If Ferdinand Marcos Jr loses to Leni Robredo again), I cannot imagine how painful that will be. Having led in the surveys almost from the time the certificates of candidacy were filed in November of last year, a defeat in 2022 will be much more painful than the nail biter defeat he suffered six years ago, because this one could be described as a coronation gone wrong.
If Leni Robredo loses to Marcos, it will effectively be the second straight rejection by the Filipino electorate of “the EDSA 1986 spirit” (if I may call it that) because the 2019 mid term senatorial elections was in part fought along similar lines, one that characterized the fight as one between “good” and “evil”, with the public choosing to side with the latter. That should hurt the righteous, even more so if the whole slate loses: VP Leni for President, Sen Kiko for Vice President, and the 12 men and women in the Senate slate.
That the VP is currently polling less than 25% in most public opinion surveys (as against the front runner polling over 50%) may make a defeat a bit easier to accept. But a defeat is a defeat and a defeat hurts.
But I note talk about civil unrest and post-election defiance in the Kakampink chat groups I am part of, which I find interesting given that I would think the Marcos camp will be more up in arms if they lose, given that up to this point all signs except God’s (whose intentions remain inscrutable) seem to point to his victory.
Churchill we just never forget was speaking at a time of world war and invasion; what we will be facing in a few days is an electoral exercise meant to elicit from the qualified voters what their collective will is.
When they speak, through a process that is generally fair honest and peaceful, I believe that defiance is out of the question. Especially if one considers oneself to be a real democrat.
My vote will go to the candidate I have long deemed the most qualified- whether he or she will win has never been an issue. Now if the majority of my countrymen disagree with me and choose someone else, so be it. That’s how the system is supposed to work. And surely even Winston Churchill will agree.