Otso Diretso

Otso Diretso (transl. Straight Eight) was an electoral alliance formed to field candidates for the 2019 Philippine general election, in opposition to President Rodrigo Duterte.[1][2] Otso Diretso fielded eight candidates (otso translates as eight) for the Senate election from the Liberal, Akbayan, Magdalo Party-List, and Aksyon Demokratiko parties. Senator Francis Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party, served as the campaign manager.[3]

Otso Diretso
Founded2018 (2018)
Preceded byKoalisyon ng Daang Matuwid
IdeologyBig tent
Coalition membersLiberal Party
Akbayan
Magdalo Party-List
Aksyon Demokratiko
SloganMakinig. Matuto. Kumilos.
Website
http://otsodiretso.ph

None of the eight senatorial candidates under Otso Diretso won a seat. It was the first time in the history of the current bicameral composition of the Philippine Congress under the 1987 Constitution that the opposition failed to win a seat in one of the chambers, and the first time since the 1938 election that the opposition failed to win a single seat in a legislative election.

Background and platform

The alliance believed that the 2019 midterm elections was a "referendum" on Duterte's government.[4][5] The coalition aimed to build a new political culture based on political leaders practicing "makinig, matuto, kumilos" (Tagalog for "listen, learn, take action"), with each candidate emphasizing the need for government to listen to its citizens.[6]

The coalition's platforms and policies were based on Project Makinig, a nationwide listening campaign conducted by 9,800 volunteers that generated 118,000 conversations.[7] Project Makinig aimed to find out the issues most relevant to Filipino voters, to form the basis for the messaging, strategy, and platform of the coalition.[8]

Otso Diretso's eight-point political platform included "poverty alleviation, a more robust economy with more jobs and lower prices of goods, a peaceful home and nation for the benefit of Filipino children, improved education and free college tuition that will lead to jobs, fair wages and profit for laborers, farmers, and fishermen, expanded rights for senior citizens and PWDs, national and judicial reform."[9]

Robredo denounced the fielding of "popular" candidates into the senatorial slate for the purpose of ensuring victory and emphasized the inclusion of "relatively unknown" candidates, saying that "popularity should be at the lower end of the spectrum [of choosing candidates]."[10]

2019 Senatorial slate
Candidate Party Last position in government Relatives in government Elected
Gary Alejano
Magdalo / Liberal
 Representative, 2013–2019 none
Bam Aquino
Liberal
 Senator, 2013–2019 former Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. (uncle), former President Corazon Aquino (aunt), former President Benigno Aquino III (cousin)
Chel Diokno
Liberal
 none (founding Dean De La Salle University College of Law, chairman Free Legal Assistance Group) Senator Jose Diokno (father), former National Historical Commission of the Philippine Chairman Maria Serena Diokno (sister)
Samira Gutoc
Liberal
 former member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission none
Florin Hilbay
Aksyon
 Solicitor General, 2014–2016 none
Romulo Macalintal
Independent
 none (lawyer) none
Mar Roxas
Liberal
 Senator, 2004–2010; Secretary of Trade and Industry, 2000–2003; Secretary of Transportation and Communications 2011–2012; Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, 2012–2015 President Manuel Roxas (grandfather), Senator Gerry Roxas (father)
Erin Tañada
Liberal
 Deputy Speaker, Congressman Quezon Province 2004–2013 Senator Lorenzo Tañada (grandfather), Senator Wigberto Tañada (father)

Results

All Otso Diretso candidates lost the election, the second time that a Liberal Party-led coalition suffered a great loss since 1955.

Rank Candidate Votes %
14 Bam Aquino 14,144,923 29.91%
16 Mar Roxas 9,843,288 20.81%
21 Chel Diokno 6,342,939 13.41%
23 Gary Alejano 4,726,652 9.99%
25 Samira Gutoc 4,345,252 9.19%
26 Romulo Macalintal 4,007,339 8.47%
27 Erin Tañada 3,870,529 8.18%
29 Florin Hilbay 2,757,879 5.83%

References
  1. "Robredo leads intro of 'Oposisyon Koalisyon' Senate bets". philstar.com. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  2. "Opposition completes 8-member senatorial slate for 2019 polls | Inquirer News". newsinfo.inquirer.net. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  3. Roxas, Pathricia Ann (February 11, 2019). "Pangilinan: Otso Diretso to focus on easing Filipino lives". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  4. Jr, DJ Yap, Nestor P. Burgos. "Opposition: May elections a referendum on Duterte". newsinfo.inquirer.net. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  5. "A verdict on Duterte: looming midterms are a referendum on president". Nikkei Asian Review. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
  6. News, ABS-CBN. "Opposition is 'alive': VP Robredo launches Senate ticket". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  7. "Otso Diretso". volunteer.otsodiretso.ph. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  8. "FILIPINOS CROSS DIFFERENCES IN GENUINE SHARING OF STORIES THROUGH PROJECT MAKINIG". Liberal Party of the Philippines. 2018-11-26. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  9. "Otso Diretso! Sa Senado! | Ipaglaban ang Ating Bukas, Boto mo ang Lunas". www.otsodiretso.ph. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  10. Flores, Helen (April 13, 2019). "Leni working harder for Otso Diretso bets". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 17, 2019.


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