With 1Sambayan crashing down to earth before it could even take off, it was clear that the days of elitist politics are over. The decision by the big-named nominees to reject their invitations was clear message that the fledgling political coalition has no gravitas to put together a respectable winning presidential and vice-presidential tandem.
FOR all their grandiose pronouncements several weeks and days leading to June 12, when they plan to announce what they described as a powerhouse and united presidential nominees, it turned out that the fledging political opposition 1Sambayan was all noise but no substance.
When the actual day (June 12) came, which was supposed to be full of symbolism as it was the day that the country will be finally free from President Duterte’s grip, the expected huge crowd did not come.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque was proven right when he earlier said that members of 1Sambayan would not even make for a town, but are just good for a barangay or small village.
As a result, 1Sambayan has become a butt of jokes and is now derisively called 1Sablayan by political observers which loosely means a group of error-prone jokesters in English.
Adding insult to injury
To add insult to injury, most of those offered to be nominated by its organizers to be the standard bearer declined the invitation.
Among those they invited but rejected the nomination outright were Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Senators Nancy Binay and Grace Poe; and popular actress and Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto.
They joined Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson who also earlier begged off from 1Sambayan nomination after censuring convenors former SC Justice Antonio Carpio and lawyer Howard Calleja, over their holier-than-thou stands and pronouncements on certain issues.
Malacanang sweepstakes
It was a big blow to the 1Sambayan’s aspirations to win Malacanang sweepstakes next year, especially since all the biggest names that have realistic chances to topple a Duterte bet rejected the offer to carry their banner.
As it is, both Moreno and Binay were among 1Sambayan’s initial choices for nominees, but Carpio said the two wrote letters asking that their names be removed from the list.
In his letter to 1Sambayan, Moreno asked that his name be "set aside" from the coalition's nominees list insisting that he wanted to focus on his work as Manila mayor.
Carpio noted that they initially included Moreno because they thought that he was also interested in running under 1Sambayan.
Poe begged off
Santos-Recto for her part said in a text message that she had no of plans running for president or vice-president in 2022, noting that there are others who were more qualified than her.
Santos- Recto, one of the deputy speakers in the House of Representatives, is on her second term as congresswoman and is believed to be gunning for a possible senatorial bid.
For her part, Poe said that she already asked 1Sambayan to strike off her name from the list even before June 12.
Critics inside the coalition
Binay, meanwhile, also declined the offer saying that she could not work with some personalities inside the coalition that were known to be critics of her father former Vice President Jejomar Binay.
She did not name names but it is well-known that 1Sambayan supporter and presidential aspirant former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV was a fierce critic of the elder Binay.
He even conducted a Senate inquiry that effectively derailed the 2016 presidential bid of then VP Binay.
Tags: #1Sambayan, #nationalpolitics, #pinglacson, #gracepoe, #nancybinay, #iskomoreno, #scjusticecarpio