Skeletons in the Chamber

Rising Star

Leon Gerona's victory in the Senate race was nothing short of showstopping in the grand scheme of political history.

After the Duterte disinformation network and the Marcos revisionist machine bolted in and destroyed his reputation beyond any repair in the six years of the Vice Presidency, he left the Liberal Party and pursued an independent path. Trailing behind in every pre-election survey imaginable, Leon had low hopes about attaining another national office, whether for president or senator.

His partner of six years and the current Senate President Pro-Tempore Louie Legarda, a seasoned senator who's about to embark on a Senate comeback campaign himself, took the helm as Leon's campaign manager and leveraged hir broadcasting background and image management skills to rebuild Leon's new branding and persona.

The steady reliability of blue and the jovial intensity of orange replaced the sunny yellow of the Liberal Party's branding. In contrast, the humble tsinelas, the symbol of his late husband Jesse Robredo's low-key leadership style, had been replaced by the royal lion, ready to pounce and bask in its glory.

Leon didn't stop at a branding change, though. He propelled his campaign with his overflowing charisma, an ambitious, comprehensive legislative agenda, and a forward-looking tagline taking inspiration from the populist rumblings of Rodrigo Duterte: "Patungo sa Bagong Landas."

But most importantly, he had a compelling narrative: He rose from the rubble of the disinformation campaign, left a party that was the relic of the political establishment, and charted his course as a political maverick - assertive, dynamic, unbeholden to anything but an overarching ambition for the country and genuine desire for public service.

Leon's narrative resonated with a populace hungry for change, as he offered himself as a fresh alternative to the status quo. His journey symbolized a departure from the old guard, embodying the spirit of progress and a genuine commitment to serving the people.

The Liberal Party molded him with the image of a subtle, quiet demeanor similar to his late husband for his earlier career in Congress and as Vice President. It served him well at that time as the underdog candidate in a sea of seasoned rivals.

Louie, on the other hand, knew that Leon was far from subtle. The genuine Leon made an explosion, commanded the stage, and displayed his charisma and eloquence for all to see - and that's what he kept in mind when he set up Leon's campaign strategy.

His campaign began as explosively as it became - he donned a lion mascot just like the one on his branding and marched to Sofitel with a growing entourage. Upon reaching the filing area, Leon removed the mask and revealed his face to the crowd. On that day, he officially filed his certificate of candidacy for the Senate, as he always wanted, not the presidency as everyone expected.

"Isa itong bagong kabanata para sa sambayanang Pilipino," Leon declared during his introductory speech with renewed assertiveness and fervor. "Sa 2022, tumungo tayo sa bagong landas!"

Applause both in Sofitel, outside the grounds, and online in the form of social media posts filled the airwaves. Bongbong Marcos, who had to hijack the disaster warning system to announce his presidential bid, ended up being upstaged, just like during the Vice Presidential debates in 2016.

It set the tone for what Leon would do in office for the next six years.

After some trial and error, the dynamic duo of Louie and Leon found a formula that worked - Leon's rallies rivaled the size, scale, and extravagance of even the most high-profile presidential campaigns. Sometimes, Leon and Louie campaign together to consolidate resources, where they end up leveraging various pop culture phenomena to form their shared branding, "Team Lionheart" (the heart coming from Louie's classic heart motif).