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How We Wish All Celebrities Being Pushed to Run for Office Thought Like Willie Revillame

How We Wish All Celebrities Being Pushed to Run for Office Thought Like Willie Revillame

Oct 8, 2021   •   Alex Alvarez

TV host Willie Revillame went viral last night after he announced he won’t be filing a certificate of candidacy (COC) for next year’s elections, despite the encouragement of some current government officials. Many netizens praised him for his move and expressed their wish for other celebrities to think like him. Here’s what went down:

 

Rumors of his political plans came up some time ago

Last March and in the months to follow, there were rumors of Willie Revillame possibly running for a senatorial office. This came after he was spotted with Bong Go and Salvador Medialdea and other similar meetings. A few months later, the TV host said he would make an announcement in the first week of August, and many thought that he would be announcing his plans to join the upcoming elections. He also made some statements that made it sound like he had plans to run.

 

Even President Duterte encouraged him

President Rodrigo Duterte also sent a video to Revillame to encourage him to join the elections as a candidate. “Matagal na tayong ‘di nagkita pero palagi kitang naaalala dahil gusto ko sanang maging senador ka (We haven’t seen each other in a while, but I always remember you because I hope you’d become a senator),” he said in the video.

 

Netizens react to his possible political plans

When these rumors about his possible candidacy came out, Revillame received a lot of criticism. Netizens weren’t happy that a celebrity lacking the proper background and experience to handle politics is being endorsed to run for office.

 

But it seems Kuya Wil knows his strengths and weaknesses


Yesterday, during his show Wowowin-Tutok To Win, Revillame confirmed that he has no plans to run in any position in the upcoming elections. “Sa araw pong ito, tuloy-tuloy pa rin po ang Wowowin. Hindi ko po kailangan kumandidato. Hindi ko po kailangan manalo. Ang kailangan ko ay makasama kayo. Dahil sa puso ko, sa isip ko dapat laging ang mga Pilipino, kayo ang Pilipino.”

He listed some reasons he came up with that made him believe that politics really is not for him. “Kung sakaling tatakbo ako sa Senado, hindi naman ko magaling mag-English. Wala akong alam sa batas,” the host added. “Baka wala naman akong maiaambag na batas. Baka dumating din ang time na sayang ang boto niyo sa akin na wala akong nagagawa.”

 

Netizens find hope in his statement

“Sana all” and “Bigyan ng jacket” are what most netizens are saying. The host received praise for his decision not to join politics and to stay in the showbiz industry instead.


However, despite the mostly positive feedback, there are some netizens who remain skeptical due to a party list organized by his close friends and colleagues, which bears a name similar to his show.

 

How we wish other candidates would think like this

Sana all talaga. During this week of filing of COCs, many familiar faces have come up from current government officials seeking reelection to local celebrities who have limited (if none at all) knowledge on politics. There are even some names aiming for some of the highest positions in the nation.


Many of these celebrities have little to no prior experience in the realm of law and politics and bank on the power of their celebrity status. A lot of netizens are asking, why can’t these celebrities simply help without being in a political position? Buti pa daw si Willie Revillame, na-accept na makakatulong siya without a position.

 

It’s not a popularity contest

Or at least, it shouldn’t be. Most of the aforementioned names are familiar not just to you, but more importantly, they’re familiar to the masses who make up a large percentage of the Philippines’ electorate. And in a country where name recall works best, local celebrities with their star power have a big chance of getting those votes. This has been proven time and again over the years by the placement of celebrities-turned-”politicians”.

That’s why it’s important to remind ourselves and the people around us that the upcoming elections should not be a popularity contest. Like Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto said, “Kumbinsihan, hindi pagdikta.” What’s at stake in Halalan 2022 is the overall situation of the collective Filipino, not the individual, because our vote in the elections would dictate how the Philippines would look in the next six years.

 

Are you registered to vote yet?

Having this discourse about celebrities in political spheres is all well and good, but you should make sure that you have the power to translate your thoughts into actions. And the most important action you could make as a citizen is to exercise your right to vote. So make sure you’re a registered voter for the upcoming elections. You have until the end of this month!


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Alex Alvarez is an aspiring writer and amateur stargazer.

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