The 2022 Elections: A Heated Battle

If we were to look back, it seems that six years just went by so fast. In 2016, we were ushered into a new era of change as Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency settled in Malacañang. But if we take a closer look, the campaign periods that were held during that time were not as intense as today. The campaign rallies that were held during this time were not as jampacked as before. And even the candidates themselves say that this election is really like no other. They state that before, they found it hard to campaign because not many people were volunteering to help them. The 2022 elections saw many people truly offering their time, talent, and treasure to the campaign sorties. And this is a good indication that many people now realize that exercising the right to vote surely has an impact on their future.

Adding to the intensity of this election is the greater impact and influence of social media on the voters. The Philippines, being the social media capital of the world, with its 89 million active social media users, experienced an election-filled craze ever since the filing of COCs of the candidates until now during the campaign period. Because of this, supporters from each candidate’s group would want to outdo each other in terms of the number of people in their campaigns and to just show how they support their candidate in creative ways through social media. These platforms and their users being more active than ever, fueled the heated exchange of thoughts, ideas, and platforms of the candidates through debates, interviews, and campaign rallies. With the rise of disinformation and fake news, the supporters of each of the candidates passionately defend their bets to win this election. This intensity is seen almost every day on social media as we are still in this election season. During the entirety of this election season, friends turned into enemies; bridges were burned because of the difference in their choice of candidates. Some of the supporters say that your candidate reflects your moral values, and they state that they would rather burn those bridges because some values are not up for debate. But others also say that even after the elections, they will remain friends as long as they respect each other’s choices. 

Some of the other factors that can add to the intensity of the fight between supporters are some of the negative campaignings that they do against their opponents. Political mudslinging also became a norm among the candidates themselves, and this added fuel to the fire that was used by the supporters of these candidates.  At the heart of it all, many people have become more aware of what they want to stand for in terms of their future, and they are voting for the candidate who embodies their values. The fighting ensues because of the shock factor that people experience when they find out that this certain friend of theirs supports this candidate. Some of them try to change the minds of their peers only to be shut down because of how close-minded their peers are. It becomes a battle of belief, and the candidates themselves urge the voters to support whom they think is right.

As the election period ends, we get closer to settling into the new normal: hopefully a better future. As citizens of the country, this shows how democracy is truly alive at the present time. When it comes to the Filipino being aware of what he or she wants to fight for, true change has occurred. Whoever wins this election will dictate what the Philippines will look like in the next six years. So, if you are still one of those who are neutral but a voter, go ahead and continue to do your research as to who embodies your values. 

And on May 9, let us all witness what is in store for us in the future.