By Former Senate President Manny Villar
At around six in the morning of May 12, 2025, I sat on a wooden chair inside a classroom at the Las Piñas City National Science High School and fulfilled my duty as a citizen. It was a long ballot but I already have my list of candidates I will vote for. It was an efficient voting process thanks to our dear public school teachers and other volunteers who were there to serve their country with courage and patriotism. There have been the usual reports of some glitches in the voting machines, confusion on the voting lists, and sporadic violence but as I write this article I continue to pray for a peaceful, honest and meaningful midterm elections.
I have been away from politics since 2013 focusing on my first love instead—entrepreneurship. But this midterm election is a crucial one in the history of the country. We are electing a set of officials—12 of the Senate’s 24 members, all members of the House of Representatives, and almost 18,000 local officials—who will lead our country in these changing times. Geopolitical dynamics, trade wars, military confrontations, territorial disputes and technological shifts will require leaders who can deal with these issues as we continue to pursue peace and prosperity for all Filipino families.
On a personal level, this election cycle also holds special significance for our family. My wife, who was with me when I cast my vote, is on the ballot as she seeks a congressional seat for the lone district of Las Piñas City. My daughter, Camille, is running for a Senate seat. The result is bittersweet. Unfortunately, Cynthia lost her race in Las Piñas. The partial and unofficial count for the Senate, however, seems to indicate a path to victory for Camille. As I write this article, she is comfortably in 10th place with 13,351,103 or close to 20 percent of the total votes cast. We would have wanted to celebrate a double victory but that is democracy.
Before I entered politics way back in 1992, the term democracy was essentially an abstract concept to me. But as I spent 21 years in public service I realized how elections are the ultimate expression of the “power of the people.” During elections voters exercise their power to give their mandate to people who will govern. It is that mandate, secured during free and fair elections, that allows public officials to exercise power on behalf of the people.
I remember after the impeachment process when I was Speaker of the House of Representatives, I was unsure how the voters would judge my actions. There were instances when people would burst into applause when I entered a restaurant or other venues. I would meet people who congratulated me for a job well done. But there were also situations when people would show their anger and disappointment.
But the 2001 election results vindicated my actions. I placed seventh and garnered more than 11 million votes. For me, that was a clear sign of approval from our people. So as a public servant, I looked at elections as referendum on my performance. In 2007, I sought reelection as senator and won fourth place garnering 15.3 million votes. What that signified for me was that the people approved of my performance during my first term and that I have secured another mandate to serve for another term.
I applaud all public school teachers, volunteers, military and police personnel who worked hard to ensure that our people can exercise their democratic right in peace. I also congratulate Cynthia for running a superb campaign, ignoring the personal attacks her opponents threw at her and focusing on what really matters—the future of our beloved city, Las Piñas. I am very proud of her.
But I am particularly impressed and immensely proud of my daughter’s first nationwide campaign. She honed her message, managed her team with utmost professionalism, ignored all the political noises, and more importantly, conducted herself with dignity, acuity, and character. She was hit with lies and disinformation until the final hours of the campaign but she remained steadfast which to me is further proof that she deserves a seat in the upper chamber. That is class.
I congratulate all our kababayans who braved the heat, the long queues, and the chaos in polling precincts. Some pundits belittle our voters, but I have always admired the courage of our voters to exercise their right to vote. Our democracy is not perfect but our people prove that Philippine democracy is alive and vibrant.
