By: Jerome Auza
The 2016 national elections is developing into an unprecedented event in the country with social media harnessed heavily for campaigns aside from traditional media. In the 2010 and 2013 elections, social media was also used but this year, the difference is that we have one presidential candidate who has limited funds for ads but is doing very well in the surveys.
Currently 2nd in a formal survey but almost always 1st in various mock elections and informal surveys nationwide, presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has appealed to supporters to help him with the campaign as he will not be accepting donations from big businessmen. The response is an overwhelming support and a real grassroots initiated campaign for Duterte. In social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, there are hundreds of comments, photos, stories and expression of support for Duterte every day. These help his name recall.
Of course, Duterte also has some TV ads but the exposure time pales in comparison to that of most other candidates. Duterte’s campaign has been aided by volunteers who believe in his platform and leadership capability to lead the nation. These volunteers post updates, comments and pictures and graphics to help promote Duterte on their social media accounts. The volume of such posts overwhelm the paid ads and show of support for the other candidates.
Outside the digital domain, the volunteer support is also evident. Free T-shirt printing is being provided by supporters. A friend of mine who prints stickers for his business would utilize the waste cutouts of the stickers and print Duterte stickers. Brochures, banners and tarps are printed and paid for by the volunteers and are distributed around. Many of these are coordinated on Facebook.
Will Duterte’s non-traditional approach to the campaign prove to be the winning move in his bid for the presidency? Would the incumbent advantage of the LP party enough to propel Roxas to victory? Can Poe’s name recall from her adopted father’s fame in the movies do the trick of getting the most votes? Will Binay’s Makati convince the voters to let him run the country? Can Santiago’s brilliance get her on top?
It still remains to be seen.
The campaign strategy of the other candidates seem to be dictated from the top down to the front liners. Duterte’s campaign is simply coordinated by his campaign manager, Maribojoc Mayor Leoncio Evasco, Jr. The volunteers have a loose structure and there is no formal organization imposed on them.
While the public is bombarded with the political ads of the other candidates on TV, the grassroots support and volunteerism is being concocted on social media.
Is this the new form of People Power? 30 years ago, the warm bodies that showed up in EDSA booted out a dictator. Back then there was no social media.
At present, there’s no need to go to EDSA to change the leadership. The click of the send button after tapping words using two thumbs on a mobile device might be enough to start a peaceful revolution that brings positive change to the way things are run in the status quo.
