AFTER 90 days of the grueling campaign, with all the “dirty” accusations hurled against presidential frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and her “propaganda machine” working double time, Vice President Leni Robredo’s journey is about “to end”, – no thanks to a voting populace who have had enough of her shallow promises that were founded on hatred, deception, and lies.

On Monday, more than 65 million voters, or roughly 80% of the registered voters, will troop to their respective polling places to decide who will lead the country to peace and prosperity in the next six years.

Sadly, VP Robredo’s number has nothing to show except 18% of voters’ preference, a far cry from the 54% of Marcos as reflected in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey result.

Pulse Asia’s latest survey also painted a “grimmer” picture for Robredo, who received 23% preference against Marcos’s 56 % voter support.

The numbers don’t include the results of other reputable polling firms, which, for all intents and purposes, carry the same figures.

In short, if the survey results will be the sole determinant of the possible outcome of the elections, then Robredo might as well bid her dreams goodbye.

Ana Tabunda, Pulse Asia research director, said that if Marcos’ 56% will be converted to votes, it would be equivalent to approximately 36.5 million of the country’s total 65 million registered voters.

“Well, ngayon lang kami nakakita ng ganyan kalaking lamang sa buong experience namin. Kauna-unahang pagkakataon ito na mayroong nag-majority voter preference na presidential candidate,” Tabunda said during a previous interview.

‘Defining moment’

Despite all the propaganda and massive mind conditioning tactics employed by Robredo’s camp, Marcos and his UniTeam sticked to their campaign strategy – to make the Filipino people understand vividly that only through unity will the country rise again from the quagmire of poverty, economic imbalance, and the debilitating effects of the pandemic.

While the “Yellow” focused their narrative against the “evils of his perceived presidency,” Marcos laid out his platforms and vision for the country in a manner that the ordinary man on the street will understand.

And while Robredo sowed hatred and “lies”, Marcos offered his hand in peace.

The stark contrast by which the candidates presented themselves to the public stayed in the minds of the voters – most, if not all of them, trying to capitalize on Marcos and his family’s perceived shortcoming – while Marcos worked diligently to convince the voters that his vision for the country was viable and doable.

In a last-ditch effort, Robredo went for the “jugular” and challenged Marcos to a “one-on-one” debate.

However, the move, which was perceived by many as a grandstanding ploy to gain the much-needed attention, backfired and was immediately nipped in the bud by Marcos’ chief of staff and spokesperson lawyer Vic Rodriguez.

“Nauunawaan ko ang kabiguang naramdaman ni Ginang Robredo na makaharap sa isang pagtatalo at bangayan si presidential frontrunner na si Bongbong Marcos. Maaari po na silang dalawa, na parehong naghangad na maging pangulo ng republika, ay magkaiba ng paniniwala hinggil sa pamamaraan ng pakikipagtalastasan sa mamamayan,” Rodriguez said, a matter-of-factly.

He explained that “the UniTeam aims to conduct a positive campaign bereft of slander and negativity as being espoused by the Yellow camp.”

In the end, it was the tacit rejection of the Filipino people, who have had enough experience of bad governance, rotten politics, and unbridled corruption, that led to the downfall of Robredo and her yellow, or pink, minions.

After the verdict is finally handed on May 9, more than 112 million Filipinos will welcome a new day dawning regardless of political belief, religion, creed, or regional bias.