Persuasion in the Context of Presidency

 "Pare-pareho lang naman lahat na politiko. Kahit sino namang uupo, may korapsyon pa rin na mangyayari."

This phrase is something that I often encounter and sadly, hear too much from the people I'm acquainted to. Persuasion is a powerful thing. When used right, it can be a way to access power and authority over a country. 

The political advertisements of President Bongbong Marcos, Former VP Leni Robredo, and Mayor Isko Moreno are examples of how they attempt to persuade an audience into voting for them for the presidential seat.

Isko's attempt to persuade involved laying out his plans and his current projects. His plans were mainly focused on hospitals, schools, and housing. His political advertisement was decent. And to add up, he already has a good reputation as Manila's mayor through his clearing up operations and school energy conservation projects (Madarang, 2019). However, this was not enough to convince me to vote for him.

President Bongbong Marcos' political ad left me more confused rather than persuaded to vote for him. What was the point of the paper windmill? What exactly was his plan to rebuild the Philippines? Babangon from what? Looking at it from a neutral and unbiased point of view, I do not see it as something persuasive even in the slightest. I'm looking for plans with clear steps on how to achieve those proposed plans. And doing a background check, the windmill that he was passing on to the people in the ad wasn't even his project (Lagman & Ines, 2022). Additionally, he was not on anyone's radar before the election period – not having a good reputation.

Former VP Leni's political ad was direct, concise, and persuasive. I would vote for her. She highlighted what issues she has addressed through her Angat Buhay program, wherein 622,000 families benefitted from (Panti, 2022). Furthermore, she backed this up by stating the specific steps that she took while addressing these issues. She has quite the formidable reputation and she is quite known to be resilient and trustworthy. She persuaded me by making me evaluate what she has done by maximizing the limited support that she has. It made me think what she could do more for the betterment of the country if she has better access to the resources that we have.

References:

Lagman, M., & Ines, J. (2022, April 1). FACT CHECK: Bangui Wind Farm in Ilocos Norte Not Bongbong Marcos’ Project. One News. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.onenews.ph/articles/fact-check-bangui-wind-farm-in-ilocos-norte-not-bongbong-marcos-project

Madarang, R. C. S. (2019, July 11). Looking into early achievements, popularity of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. Interaksyon. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://interaksyon.philstar.com/politics-issues/2019/07/11/151689/manila-isko-moreno-achievements-criticisms/

Panti, L. T. (2022, January 3). Anti-poverty program Angat Buhay benefited 622,000 families –OVP | News |. GMA News Online. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/816825/anti-poverty-program-angat-buhay-benefited-622-000-families-ovp/story/