*Dr. Rodolfo John Ortiz Teope, PhD, EdD, DM
It was supposed to be an ordinary mirienda.
A friend invited me for a simple meal. There was no agenda, no political meeting, no organized discussion. Just friends and relatives gathered around a dining table.
As often happens in Filipino households, one topic naturally led to another.
Someone complained about government bureaucracy. Another shared how people, specifically a person pretending to have connections inside government offices were asking for money in exchange for “fixing” permits, licenses, and applications. Stories of extortion, influence peddling, and fake government connections filled the table.
Then someone suddenly asked,
“Kung kayo ang boboto sa 2028, sino ba talaga ang iboboto ninyo?”
The table instantly came alive.
One mentioned Risa Hontiveros.
Immediately, several shook their heads.
Another mentioned Bam Aquino.
“Bakit Aquino na naman?” someone asked.
“Wala na bang iba?”
Then came Sara Duterte.
“Sure win ’yan,” one confidently said.
But another immediately replied,
“Pero bakit Duterte na naman? Wala na bang ibang pamilya?”
Then the Tulfo family entered the conversation.
“Napakaraming followers niyan.”
“Napakaraming subscribers.”
“Malakas sa masa.”
“But is popularity enough?”
Then came Leni Robredo.
Interestingly, nobody questioned her integrity.
Instead, one person quietly said,
*“Siguro kung si Leni lang, okay.”
“Pero ang mga tao sa paligid niya… ibang usapan na iyon.”
Some argued that while she possesses competence and integrity, many perceive parts of her political circle as disconnected from the realities faced by ordinary Filipinos. Whether fair or unfair, perception has become part of modern politics.
Then someone jokingly mentioned Vico Sotto.
The entire table smiled.
“Siya sana…”
“But he’s not yet constitutionally qualified.”
Ironically, many agreed that despite his age, he possesses many qualities people seek in a future national leader.
The discussion continued.
Someone brought up Joy Belmonte.
Immediately another interrupted.
“Magulo sa Quezon City.”
Someone else disagreed.
“Hindi. Marami namang nagawa.”
Another countered,
“Puro press release lang.”
Whether those observations are accurate or not was beside the point.
What fascinated me was something much deeper.
Nobody around that table seemed excited.
Everyone was simply trying to eliminate names.
Nobody was genuinely inspired.
Then someone sighed and asked the question that silenced everyone.
“Sa mahigit 112 million na Pilipino… ito lang ba talaga ang pagpipilian natin?”
That question lingered in my mind.
For decades, Philippine politics has revolved around the same surnames.
The same political clans.
The same families.
The same personalities.
Only the generations change.
The surnames remain.
Even in many provinces, the same family names dominate election after election.
In many cities, public office has become almost hereditary.
Even the Senate, once considered the country’s premier training ground for future presidents, increasingly reflects the influence of political families.
One cannot help but ask:
“Wala na bang iba?”
The painful reality is that the Philippines is not lacking competent leaders.
We are lacking visibility for competent leaders.
Our political system rewards popularity faster than performance.
Those with money can hire armies of vloggers.
They can finance troll farms.
They can dominate social media algorithms.
They can manufacture familiarity.
Meanwhile, those quietly delivering excellent governance remain largely invisible in the eyes of the public who are presidential material.
Many of our most competent public servants are too busy working to spend time building popularity.
There was one example discussed at the table.
A former local government chief executive,
A former congressman,
He transformed his city into one of the most developed in Metro-Manila.
Later, he helped improve governance across the National Capital Region thru MMDA.
He eventually led a major national department with measurable reforms thru integrity and transparency.
He ran for the Senate.
He lost.
Not because of incompetence.
Not because of corruption.
But because he was buried beneath national political narratives and carried the baggage of his political party.
There was another.
A relatively young Cabinet Secretary known for infrastructure and project implementation.
Competent.
Principled.
Disciplined.
Yet he is rarely mentioned in presidential conversations.
Then someone mentioned a former police general who later became a mayor of a toirist city.
Respected.
Anti-corruption.
Principled.
Yet many believed he would struggle nationally because he lacks celebrity appeal.
Governors were also discussed.
Many provincial governors have transformed their provinces into models of good governance.
Some possess executive experience superior to many national politicians.
Yet geography becomes their disadvantage.
A governor from Mindanao may struggle to gain national recognition despite an excellent record.
The conversation even became humorous.
Someone suddenly said,
“Bakit hindi kaya si Vice Ganda?”
Everyone laughed.
Then someone seriously replied,
“Kung ang Ukraine nagkaroon ng comedian na naging presidente, bakit hindi?”
The point was not really about celebrities.
The point was this:
People are desperately searching for alternatives.
Because many feel trapped between familiar names.
Eventually, other names surfaced.
Jonvic Remulla was mentioned.
Some acknowledged his administrative experience, while others argued that his tenure had not yet created the kind of defining national leadership narrative that inspires a presidential campaign.
Bong Go was also discussed.
Interestingly, some believed he enjoys broader personal acceptance than many assume. Others remarked that if Sara Duterte chooses to run, he would likely defer rather than compete.
Then one name quietly entered the discussion.
A Cabinet Secretary.
Highly qualified.
A lawyer.
A bar topnotcher.
An experienced legislator.
An experienced executive.
One of the strongest voices defending Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.
Yet many ordinary Filipinos hardly mention him when discussing 2028.
Why?
Because while others spend time building popularity, he spends most of his time doing his job.
He is focused on national defense, diplomacy, and protecting Philippine interests rather than cultivating mass appeal.
His credentials are unquestionable.
His competence is evident.
But politics is rarely decided by résumés alone.
In Philippine elections, popularity often defeats qualification.
That is perhaps one of the greatest tragedies of our democracy.
Perhaps it is also time for us to stop looking only at the Senate as the breeding ground for future presidents.
The Senate today has become increasingly polarized and confrontational.
Maybe the next President is quietly governing a city.
Maybe leading a province.
Maybe managing a national department.
Maybe implementing reforms without cameras.
Maybe solving problems instead of creating headlines.
The Philippines still has two years before the 2028 elections.
That is enough time for new leaders to emerge.
Enough time for voters to discover competent public servants beyond familiar surnames.
Enough time for media to look beyond celebrity politics.
Enough time for Filipinos to ask deeper questions.
Not,
“Sino ang pinakasikat?”
But,
“Sino ang may pinakamalinaw na track record?”
Not,
“Sino ang pinakamaraming followers?”
But,
“Sino ang may pinakamalaking pagmamahal sa bayan?”
The Philippines does not lack leaders.
It may simply be looking in the wrong places.
Perhaps the next President is already serving somewhere quietly today—without trolls, without paid influencers, without daily press conferences, and without political theatrics.
The challenge is whether we, as voters, are willing to find that leader before 2028.
Because if we continue voting only for familiar surnames and manufactured popularity, we should not be surprised if, after another six years, we once again gather around another mirienda table asking the very same question:
“Wala na bang ibang pagpipilian?”
#DJOT
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*About the author:
