Botong Isko Results

It was not surprising that Gordon won the University of the Philippines’ mock polls Botong Isko last month. Compared to the other presidentiables, he is by far suitable for the post.

Gordon was able to tap in to the student’s plea for good governance and solutions for long term economic development. Some of his plans were straight to the point, and some were even harsh, but he was able to defend them through his straight-to-the-point answers.

Of course, there were other students and most professors, especially the “older generations”, who were surprised by the turnouts of the mock polls. For an activist institution voting for someone who was claimed to be an avid supporter of the US troops stationed in the country, it was something gone mad.

But I believe the students were not voting based on color or a particular stand, but by the overall bearings a presidentiable has in order to lead the nation. Out of all the candidates, Gordon was able to provide concrete solutions on issues surrounding the country. While most presidentiables were bashing each other in the debates, he was able to be cool enough to answer the questions without the motherhood statements these people love to hand out (then bash at the other’s foolishness).

They weighed in what the candidates were offering from the past debates and chose the right person. They didn’t rely on popularity contests like the leading candidates, they preferred more on what a candidate has to offer.

Most students also believed that out of all the presidentiables, Gordon was true enough to answer the questions without fear of any backlash. When he was asked if he would increase taxes when he became president, he instantly said yes because he believed it was impossible not to increase taxes, since it was needed to stimulate the economy. Other candidates, especially the leading ones, plainly said no just to please the crowd; but in the end they changed their tune once they realized their response was unfavorable. This act alone was Gordon’s strong point.

But being true to the public has its shortcomings as a politician. Let’s face it, our country is still mired by popularity contests. The only reason those in the top were leading the surveys was because of the millions of pesos spent on campaign advertisements. For a campaign strategist’s perspective, it was the best move to garner the masses’ votes. But it only shows how shallow they are by dancing on TV and getting celebrities to endorse them for money.

What the majority of the Botong Isko did was not listen to surveys or enthralled by the flashy jingles they saw on TV, they weighed in, analyzed and thought who will be best suited for the job--- and they have spoken.