IN FACT, in general, there was a misreading of the political landscape. Many politicians failed to study the shift in demographics of the current voters, say political observers. The young generation who grew up in the turbulent tailend of the Marcos dictatorship and who took part in Edsa 1 are now parents themselves. “These are the people who will ask their children to be a poll volunteer, while the grandparents, who are from a different generation, will say ‘no, don’t, elections are violent,’” says Tiquia. She adds that these critical-thinking parents, who base their judgment of candidates on performance, are also bound to influence the way their children vote.

	TRILLANES TV campaign ad [video courtesy of YouTube]

Those who still remember Edsa 1 also cherish idealism, which is something youths look for as well. This partly explains why detained Navy Ltsg. Antonio Trillanes IV appears headed for victory, even though his was a practically penniless campaign propped up by a ragtag band of family, friends, and colleagues.

The candidate, who has been charged with rebellion for his part in the 2003 Oakwood mutiny, did come out with three grainy ads, but these rarely aired. The most forgettable one had him being endorsed by Senator Jamby Madrigal. But two carried messages that had resonance with voters: One reminded the people of the alleged under-the-table deals that marked the construction of the Macapagal Highway in Parañaque, the other about the fertilizer scam connected to the 2004 polls. Both ended with a picture of the candidate, asking for votes, and promising to rid the government of corruption.

“Trillanes’s message is that he was jailed because he spoke up about corruption in the military and government,” says Pulse Asia’s Abad. “He has become an icon for voters who are fed up with corruption, and he has shown voters that he will speak for them.” That, coupled with the Pinoys’ love for underdogs, bolstered the Senate chances of the young officer.

The “underdog” image may have also helped Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan, who shrewdly used a 30-second ad to explain why he ran as independent and scored with voters with his line “iyong pabago-bago ng pinapanigan, ‘di ko kayang gawin (switching sides is not something I can do).” The commercial was shot in his study, no rah-rah girls, no booming music. Observes Tiquia: “He was close to the camera, like he was intimate with the viewers.”

Pangilinan, says Tiquia, “is the story of this campaign.” A Liberal Party member who refused to be part of the Genuine Opposition team, which had invited him as “guest candidate,” Pangilinan opted for a 12-province bus tour with his family. Of course the support of his wife, ‘Megastar’ and top product endorser Sharon Cuneta, was a big boost to his campaign. But so was the presence of his two young daughters, who also appeared in at least two of his ads. They sealed his image as a principled family man. As a result, Pangilinan is now occupying the fifth slot in the counting, fueled by what he says was a mere P50 million for his whole campaign.

SURPRISINGLY, FELLOW ‘Wednesday Group’ member Ralph Recto did not do as well despite using similar ingredients in his campaign (movie-star wife, kids in the ads) and having an ad budget that was almost thrice that of Pangilinan’s (P137.4 million). Tagged by AC Nielsen as number six among the big spenders, Recto is now at the 14th slot in the official tally of votes for senatorial candidates.

According to veteran political strategist Peter Sing, Recto was unable to live down the Reformed Value-Added Tax Law, which he shepherded to passage as chairperson of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The law removed exemptions granted under the Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT), and raised the tax base from 10 to 12 percent.

Recto had ads where he tried to explain why the new VAT law was necessary. He also sought to highlight other laws he authored and co-authored, such as the amendment to the Rent Control Law. But Sing says, “There was casual mention by radio commentators and text messages reminding people about Recto’s role in the VAT law.” He adds that the text campaign against Recto was widespread, and with the people staring at the 12-percent VAT in their receipts daily, it did not take much to convince them to cross out Recto from their list for the Senate.

Senator Joker Arroyo, another ‘Wednesday Group’ member, spent even more than Recto, even though he did not have similar baggage. According to AC Nielsen, he spent P172 million for his ads, although he is contesting the figure. But it looks like his investment paid off. A critic of the current government but who ran under the administration ticket anyway, Arroyo was able to assert his “independence” through ads that subtly hit government policies.

	SINGSON TV campaign ad [video courtesy of YouTube]

Senator Manuel Villar, the last member of the ‘Wednesday Group,’ sunk in the most money among them: 195.2 million, making him second in AC Nielsen’s list of big spenders. He also worked the hardest in his commercials, which had him dancing, cleaning fish, and even helping build a house. Yet while he jumped to the opposition’s camp, he kept his old campaign slogan, “sipag at tiyaga (hard work and patience),” and constantly reminded voters that he worked his way up from poverty.

But when Zambales Governor Vicente ‘Vic’ Magsaysay hijacked his popular late uncle’s campaign line, “Magsaysay Is My Guy,” it did little to help his bid for the Senate. Magsaysay spent P88 million for his ads, in which he failed to say anything about his advocacies. He did, however, don a straw hat and wear a flowery shirt in his ads, making him look like a pitchman for Dole pineapple.

Another provincial governor who seemed to have a bottomless wallet was Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson of Ilocos Sur. He spent P11 million more than Magsaysay, but did not do any better at the polls. At least he said he would be the voice of the provinces at the Senate, and touted some of what he said were his accomplishments as governor as well as a former congressman. But he was ultimately done in by his own antics at the campaign trail that included his allegedly giving away money.