Today I Learned: Why Filipino Voters End Up Choosing the Wrong Leaders

Come May 12, 2025, voters will cast their ballots to elect a fresh set of lawmakers in Congress, along with provincial governors, town or city mayors, and councilors. The midterm elections will decide the future of 18,721 positions. Political hopefuls are scheduled to file their certificates of candidacy (COCs) from October 1 to 8.

Do you remain hopeful that Filipinos will learn to exercise better judgment in electing our leaders? Or have you taken a pragmatic view, resigning yourself to the fact that the future of this country lies in two types of voters—the botante and bobotante? In other words, wag kang masyadong umasa ng pagbabago. An action star even became the topnotcher in the 2022 Senatorial Elections. We've also elected those convicted of plunder and graft.

I've encountered the term bobotante in the recent episode on Red Ollero's "The Medyo Serious Talk Show," where he guested political strategist Alan German. Both engaging and entertaining dudes to listen to. The topic for discussion: "How do you differentiate botante from bobotante?

German quoted the great Albert Einstein, who defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

Right off the bat, the political strategist offered a though-provoking opener to the discussion: "When you look at the term bobotante, sino ba talaga ang bobo d'yan? Yung bobotante or the candidates and campaign managers who insist on doing the same thing, thinking that they will somehow uplift or educate these bobotantes and allow them to win?"

He went on to discuss the Filipino voters' OAP or Order of Attribute Preference when it comes to choosing leaders. "Hindi pumapasok ang track record, educational attainment, at integrity. Don't cancel me, this is the data talking—integrity doesn't really count...It's always been the same since time immemorial."

"The earliest study that I have had a chance to get my hands on was from 1998. So, since 1998, talagang ang gusto ng Pinoy ay mukhang madaling lapitan, mukhang mabait, sikat, at matulungin. These attributes are so broad that they encompass a wide spectrum, na matatabunan yung mga ibang attributes na perhaps the more discerning voter will say, 'Bakit hindi yun ang tinitingnan ninyo?'"

German said it's out of frustration, and a little bit of elitism, that the term "bobotante" was coined.

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How Filipinos choose their leaders

Many Filipino voters are unaware of the true responsibilities and duties of government positions. "They don't know, for example, that the congressman's main job is to pass legislation that is relevant to their area, to their constituents. Ang tingin nila sa congressman ay namimigay ng ayuda, nagpapagawa ng basketball court, nagpapamigay ng grocery."

On the local level, voters choose leaders based on their daily needs and scope of reality. "Yung poso hindi gumagana. Walang kuryente. Baku-bako ang kalsada. Pumili tayo ng mayor na may plano para dito," said German. "But in the national scheme, there's still that disconnect of socio-economic reform, inclusive growth, and good legislation. Hindi nila ma-grasp."

Meanwhile, on the national level, "people are looking for distractions, not solutions." German said: "You're a jeepney driver. You've driven eight hours the whole day. Pagod na pagod ka, your limbs are aching. You get home, you switch on the TV. On one channel, there's a guy outlining his economic plans—what he's going to do, how he's going to raise the economy, how he's going to improve the unemployment rate, how he plans to lower the price of goods.

"Next channel, dalawang kandidato, may gorilla sa gitna, nagpapatawa, exchanging jokes. Sino ang papanorin mo?" Your guess is as good as mine. "You're tired, you've had a long day, you just want to put your feet up. Sa national level, ganun ang laro."

"They don't know, for example, that the congressman's main job is to pass legislation that is relevant to their area, to their constituents. Ang tingin nila sa congressman ay namimigay ng ayuda, nagpapagawa ng basketball court, nagpapamigay ng grocery."

Is there hope on the horizon?

German remains optimistic. "Seeing these young upstarts who are really good planners, really good social scientists-type of leaders and legislators, sana umangat [tayo]. Sana makita ng electorate na bumuti ang lugar namin dahil dito. Sana i-translate natin sa national, baka mangyari rin yan."

He encourages the elitists to exercise understanding and empathy. "Your feed is different from what 92 percent of the population sees...Baka nga tayo pala ang bobotante in a way. Because, again, the rule is you never try to bring the market to where you are; you will lose an election. Go down to where the market is—that's how you win an election. So maybe the person who is just so bullheaded, myopic, and blind to this reality, baka nga sila yung bobotante."

Candidates with strong credentials and a proven track record need to understand that success in politics extends beyond just performance. "Sometimes I tell my clients, you know what, we'll handle [your performance] when you're already seated. Let's get to the seat first. Getting your butt into the seat, that's our job, and we have to play to the music. That's the TikTok, the kantahan... But staying in that seat, that's up to you. Diyan ka mag-perform. People will determine how long you stay in that seat by your performance."

'...the rule is you never try to bring the market to where you are; you will lose an election. Go down to where the market is—that's how you win an election. So maybe the person who is just so bullheaded, myopic, and blind to this reality, baka nga sila yung bobotante."

How good candidates can win the election

In the Philippines, there are three types of candidates: the gut, the heart, and the head.

The Gut Candidate can immediately connect on an instinctual level. When people see this candidate, they want to shout "idol!" or take selfies with him/her. This candidate generates excitement and a sense of camaraderie.

The Heart Candidate resonates deeply with voters on an emotional level. People feel understood and represented by this candidate, as if they went through the same experiences. There is a strong sense of relatability and solidarity, making voters feel like this candidate is "one of us."

The Head Candidate appeals to the intellect. Voters see them as someone with a solid plan, capable of making life better. Unfortunately, in the current era, head candidates, despite their qualifications and strategic mindsets, often only make it as far as the Senate, said German. Their analytical approach may not resonate as broadly with the electorate compared to the gut and heart candidates.

The perfect formula would be to be exceptional in those three areas. German cited Rodrigo Duterte as an example. He was exceptional as a gut candidate. "Wherever this guy goes the people will just do backflips and and they'll jump off lobbies for him," German said.

To enhance Duterte's "heart" appeal, his team photographed him eating a simple meal of rice and pritong isda, wearing a broken shoe, and sleeping inside a kulambo.

To equalize Duterte's perceived weakness in terms of capacity to fulfill the role of president—what's a Davao mayor going to do in the national government?—he hired the best and brightest, German pointed out.

"[Duterte] was a gamechanger. He forever changed the way campaigns are run," observed German.

"The problem with most candidates is they want to talk about the universe, buffet marketing. Whittle that down. Make it one-nail messaging para tumagos."

Before Duterte's era, political campaigns in the Philippines focused on the AIM strategy—Alert, Inspire, and Motivate—where candidates emphasized grand ideals like patriotism and moral governance (Inspire). However, Duterte changed this approach by shifting the focus to alerting and motivating voters through fear-based messaging. He emphasized imminent threats, such as the Philippines becoming a drug state, instilling urgency and fear to gain support.

German said the Inspire messaging is no longer effective. Candidates need to move away from upliftment and be direct and straightforward. "If a boogeyman needs to be created, whether it's drugs, insurgency, human rights being trampled, or the threat of communists—make that boogeyman and then present a solution," he says. The candidate needs to position themselves as the one who will put an end to the threat to compel voter action.

He continued, "The problem with most candidates is they want to talk about the universe, buffet marketing. They want to be the champion of education, kabataan, kababaihan, presyo ng bilihin. They want to be the economic champion, the governance champion. Sorry brother, that's a bed of nails, walang tatagos. Whittle that down. Make it one-nail messaging para tumagos."

He gave examples like Joseph Estrada's "Erap para sa mahirap yan," Duterte's "Change is Coming," Juan Ponce Enrile's "Gusto ko happy ka."

"So my job, my main priority is, to help the candidate find that one nail, which has to be SIBMT—superlative, important, believable, memorable, tangible."

In coming up with a one-nail messaging, German said to always remember what is important to the Filipino: HELPS. "It has to be about Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and order, and Social services," said the political strategist.