IN just over 15 months, our country will once again be subjected to the rituals of democracy. The 2022 national and local elections are looming, and the Filipino people will have a choice of, once again, voting for a nightmare masquerading as a messiah or voting for a real alternative. We are already witnessing the surfacing of familiar names on both sides of the political divide. More prominent of these are Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on the side of the administration and Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo on the side of the political opposition.
Some may consider this an interesting battle between two women, but it would be too shallow for one to read into this a feminist accolade, considering what recent events have pointed out to us. It may be unpalatable to hear and may appear misogynist, but gender has nothing to do with bringing feminism into the mainstream of politics. One just has to look at the likes of United States Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado to realize that being a woman does not assure deliverance from lunacy, violence and conspiracy theories, which abound in the political world, dominated by men. Both Sara Duterte-Carpio and Leni Robredo endear themselves to their political base, but it is not certain whether what they bring to the table is something of which blue-blooded feminists can be proud.
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