TEARS are not shed in the cold, calculating — maybe the apt word is cynical — ecosystem of Philippine politics. Tears are for softies and softies do not venture, do not engage in an exercise that is as cold and calculating as Philippine politics. These are the main elements of a successful political campaign, Philippine context: guns, goons and gold, the classic features, and a 21st century addition — the darkest side, the most venomous underbelly of social media. Losers do not grieve, even in the rare case of a depressing aftermath. Even as a cathartic release, there is no room for tears in Philippine politics.

The traditional principals of Philippine politics remind us of Vladimir Putin and his siloviki. Then, the ground shifted.