Some time ago I was driving through the countryside on a stretch of road flanked by green fields when, all of a sudden, a series of roadside tarpaulins caught my eye. They’re not selling anything, nor were they warning of repair works ahead. Instead, one tarpaulin showcased the grinning face of Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. with the words underneath it, in bold letters, Walang Matigas Na Pulis Sa Matinik Na Misis. The other tarpaulin featured the smiling face of Camille Villar with the banner Ingat Sa Byahe.
Revilla is an actor, director, producer, television presenter, and politician. First elected to the Senate in 2004, he topped the senatorial race in 2010. On June 20, 2014, the Sandiganbayan issued an arrest warrant against him for his alleged involvement in the Napoles pork barrel scam. Acquitted of plunder and released on December 7, 2018, Revilla was required to return to the government P124.5 million in civil liability.
He stood accused of 16 counts of graft for his alleged role in the transfer of P517 million of his discretionary funds to bogus foundations. Sandiganbayan junked all cases in 2021. According to Wikipedia, he has yet to return the required amount he was asked to give back before his acquittal.
Camille Villar is a television personality and politician who currently serves as the Member of the House of Representatives for Las Piñas since 2019. She has been serving as a deputy Speaker since 2022. She is the youngest and only daughter of former Senate President Manuel Villar and incumbent Senator Cynthia Villar. Another incumbent Senator Mark Villar is her brother.
THE GOOD: A MARKETER’S DREAM
It is not yet a campaign season, and Revilla and Villar haven’t declared their candidacy. Yet, here they are, their faces on tarpaulins spread around the country, making sure you won’t forget them come election day.
Let’s face it: the strategy is brilliant. These tarpaulins are leveraging the oldest trick in the book – repetition. Remember Nike’s Just Do It? This iconic slogan has been used since 1988 and is a prime example of repetition in branding. The repetitive use of this simple, yet powerful phrase has made it synonymous with the brand.
Just as Just Do It associates Nike with motivation and action, so too Ingat Sa Byahe relates Villar with gentility. Just as Walang Matigas Na Tinapay Sa Mainit Na Kape identifies Fernando Poe Jr. with no-guts-no-glory boldness, so too Walang Matigas Na Pulis Sa Matinik na Misis links Revilla with humor – a social glue that bonds Pinoys.
By the time elections roll around, the names and faces of Revilla and Villar will pop up in your mind as if by magic. It’s a cunning play, starting the race before the starting gun fires, gaining momentum while others are still at the blocks.
THE BAD: THE SCALE TIPS
But here’s the rub: not everyone has the means to fan out their faces across the country. “The Revilla clan headed by Senator Bong Revilla,” the Rappler reported in 2022, “is now officially the biggest dynasty in Cavite, with six family members elected to local positions while two others await if the party lists that nominated them would be getting seats in Congress.”
On the other hand, Villar is the scion of another political dynasty whose father, a property magnate and former Senate president Manuel Villar Jr., is the top among the 14 Filipinos who made it to the Forbes World’s Billionaires List for 2023 with a net worth of $8.6 billion.
Revilla and Villar are not playing on the same field as most. Their early start isn’t just about being remembered; it is about overshadowing. It’s a game where the richest players have the loudest voices, and that’s not what democracy is about. Democracy is about choice, fair play, about every voice having a chance to be heard.
On the mark, Ana Pamintuan’s writes in her Philstar column:
“Dynasts used to be chided for being greedy for power. These days they even flaunt it, displaying photos of all the family members occupying government posts on giant billboards that pollute public space. Hail, hail, the gang’s all here; the more members in public office, the prouder they are.
“From the local level and on up, dynasty-building has short-circuited the system of checks and balances in our weak republic.
“Dynasts like to say that they can always be voted out of office if they perform badly. But the majority of voters are from low-income households who are vulnerable to patronage politics and can be easily harassed and threatened with armed violence in case a challenger to the clan’s stranglehold on power emerges. Serious challenges can also end up dead, along with witnesses to the killing, and the ruling clan will get away with murder.”
As one Reddit commenter said, "Here we go again talaga, iboboto na naman ng karamihan yan. Magsasama na sila Bong, Robin, pati si Willie."
Ugh.
THE UGLY: DEMOCRACY’S DILEMMA
And then there’s the heart of the issue: the integrity of our elections. These tarpaulins, innocent as they may seem, chip away at the very foundation of our electoral system. They’re not illegal, but they’re not in the spirit of fair competition either. They create an environment where money and influence can quickly tip the scales, and that’s an unsound precedent.
NAVIGATING THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
So, as voters, how do we navigate this subtle premature campaigning? We must educate ourselves. We must look beyond the tarpaulins and delve into the policies and the track records. We must talk to each other, share insights, and challenge the status quo. We must hold our candidates to a higher standard, demanding transparency and fairness. And when we see something that doesn’t sit right, we must not look the other way, but we must speak up. We must report it, we must discuss it, and we must remember it when we cast our votes.
THE POWER OF THE INFORMED VOTER
As we approach the crossroads of another election, let’s remember the power we hold. The power to see beyond the roadside tarpaulins, to question, to challenge, and to make informed choices. Our democracy is only as strong as our willingness to protect it. So, let’s start conversations, let’s demand fairness, and let’s vote not just with our memory recall, but with our conscience.
Let me wrap up this article light-heartedly with Pinoy humor – a creative coping mechanism.
Here are Revilla's slogan variants crafted by Reddit commenters:
Walang Matigas Na Election Code Sa Matinik Na Epalitiko
Walang Matigas Na Pondo Sa Matinik Na Kawatan
Walang Matigas Na Mukha Sa Mangmang Na Botante
Tabaco City Councilor Gio Ong Bongao came up with this Villar's slogan variant on his mock up tarpaulin:
Hello po, kumain ka na? Huwag ka papagutom.
Ha-ha.
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