DURING the postwar period, five

Philippine vice presidents have been elected president, three of whom initially succeeded to the presidency before they won in their own right as president:

But nothing stops me from imagining certain likely scenarios. These are formed from statements made by the potential candidates themselves or by their endorsers or from survey results.

One possible tandem that has been suggested particularly by former Camarines Sur representative Rolando Andaya Jr. is that of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for president and former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro as her vice president. Some people would like to believe that this is a formidable team, with Duterte-Carpio inheriting her father’s political and logistical largesse. What would work against this tandem is that it can also inherit the baggage and the skeletons of the Duterte administration.

Already, the case against President Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC), if it prospers, could be burdensome to Duterte-Carpio, although it may also backfire on the political opposition as it may galvanize the solid Duterte base to mobilize around her by painting the case as an unwarranted foreign intervention, never mind that Duterte himself is unabashedly pro-China. On the part of Teodoro, the issue that will hound him is the perception that he was practically absent from the political landscape after his defeat in the 2010 elections. He was virtually unheard of as we battled with a series of crises, as he failed to even utter a word of sympathy or even criticism in relation to our pain and suffering.

And then you have the names being offered by 1Sambayan. There is a clamor among the opposition ranks to convince Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo, who is rumored to be interested in running for governor of Camarines Sur, to run for president instead. And as this develops, former senator Antonio Trillanes 4th, the only other politician aside from Robredo who did not decline the 1Sambayan nomination, has openly offered himself to be Robredo’s running mate. The main challenge to a Robredo-Trillanes tandem is the fact that it appears to be a ticket that may be unwinnable, considering that both perform poorly in surveys. But more lethal would be the likelihood that many Robredo voters may find Trillanes an unacceptable partner for her.

Another possible tandem is that of Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd. Lacson appears to be mulling the possibility of running for president, while Sotto has declared that he might run for vice president under Lacson. A LacsonSotto tandem would provide an interesting mix that may just have the potential to thwart or at least render as uncertain the chances of Duterte-Carpio, who is undoubtedly perceived as the frontrunner. However, their advantage in terms of experience may be turned around into becoming a liability for those voters who prefer newer, younger and fresher faces.

And then we have the wild cards who rate relatively high in surveys but have so far not given any formal indication about their exact plans. Belonging to this group is Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso aka Isko Moreno. Another wild card is Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao who suddenly finds himself being marginalized by his own party as it now appears ready to push for a Duterte-Duterte tandem. A Domagoso-Pacquiao or a Pacquiao-Domagoso ticket can in fact be the dark horse to watch out for. Both have their own compelling rags-to-riches (or fame) narrative and may just attract voters sick and tired of political divisions and who seek younger candidates, and thus may be the best ticket to ride on the platform of unity. The only thing that can go against them is that there is no major political party or group backing them and they may still carry the pro-Duterte baggage which may cost them the support of independent voters.

Other names mentioned are those of former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., although it is safe to bet that he may settle for a seat in the Senate, something that is an easy win for him and where he can aim to become Senate President to succeed Sotto. Having lost to Robredo, by virtue of the decision by the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, Marcos will think hard before he risks another loss. The specter of losing twice in a row may be a strong motivation for him to take the safer path. But then again, things may change, and it may even be possible that Marcos could team up with a Duterte, whether Sara as president or even perhaps Digong as his vice, which will change the entire game completely.

Sen. Mary Grace Poe’s name is also mentioned, and she gets relatively decent polling numbers. She already declined the nomination of 1Sambayan, but she can always change her mind. However, if she does, it may just undermine her standing with the anti-Duterte crowd and the independents whose votes she would need but who may consider her refusal of 1Sambayan’s offer as an opportunistic move. The same can also be said of those others who declined, like Representatives Vilma SantosRecto and Eduardo Villanueva, or Sen. Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay.

And then we have other names like Sen. Richard Gordon, Representatives Alan Peter Cayetano and Martin Romualdez, or even retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio being mentioned and appearing in surveys.

In the end, it is not totally a useless exercise or a work of fiction to imagine possible pairings. The key questions are which tandems will materialize and which will not, and which will prevail and which will lose? Who knows? Other names, and pairings, may still emerge. A dark, unknown horse may still enter the race. Eventually, we the people will have our say. If only we can change the way we make our choices.