Beyond the Ballot: EcoWaste Coalition's Bold Post-Election Clean-Up Challenges Candidates to Own Their Mess

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

As the dust settles after the national and local elections, another kind of clutter remains—one not so easily swept away by ballots or political promises.

In a stirring display of civic duty and environmental vigilance, the EcoWaste Coalition took to the streets this morning, leading a post-election clean-up around Flora Ylagan High School along Malakas Street near the corner of V. Luna Avenue. More than just an effort to clear campaign trash, the initiative served as a symbolic call to arms—urging candidates to not just lead by words, but through action and accountability.

Volunteers from EcoWaste, in collaboration with sanitation workers from the Quezon City Department of Sanitation and Cleanup Works, worked side by side removing campaign posters, streamers, and other propaganda materials that had turned sidewalks and fences into canvases of political neglect. Their presence painted a stark contrast against the silence of those who once clamored for votes in the same streets now littered with their discarded promises.

“This isn’t just about picking up trash. It is about setting the tone for responsible leadership,” declared Cris Luague, Zero Waste Campaigner of the EcoWaste Coalition. “Candidates should not disappear after election day. The mess they leave behind speaks volumes, and the least they can do is clean it up.”

A Familiar Aftermath, A Forgotten Duty

Despite repeated reminders from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), campaign litter continues to deface communities long after polls close. The May 12 elections were no different. From tarpaulins hanging on lamp posts to posters plastered on walls, the remnants of the electoral battle remain, untouched and ignored by many of the very people who promised “change.”

This, Luague laments, is a pattern that persists—a blatant disregard not only for the law but for the communities and environment these candidates claim to serve.

“Win or lose, candidates must take the lead in post-election clean-ups,” Luague emphasized. “It’s not just about optics—it’s about owning the environmental footprint of their campaigns. This is leadership in its most basic form: being responsible.”

The Weight of Waste Shouldn't Fall on Volunteers Alone

While the EcoWaste Coalition and community volunteers once again rose to the occasion, the group made it clear: the burden of clean-up should not fall on the shoulders of ordinary citizens.

“We’re thankful for the public’s initiative,” Luague acknowledged, “but this responsibility belongs to those who benefited from the campaign. The ones who filled the streets with their faces and slogans should now be the first to take them down.”

A Clear Call for Action

The Coalition isn’t just cleaning—they’re demanding. Their appeal extends beyond candidates to include local government units (LGUs), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and COMELEC itself.

The call? Strict enforcement of post-campaign regulations. COMELEC’s Task Force Baklas 2025 had already laid down the law: All campaign materials should have been removed by 12:00 midnight of May 11, just hours after the campaign period officially ended.

Yet, violations are rampant—and mostly unpunished.

“This cycle of waste and neglect has to end,” the EcoWaste Coalition urged. “If candidates truly want to lead, they must show that they can also clean up after themselves and protect the environment while doing so.”

Toward a Zero Waste Democracy

The group is not stopping here. The EcoWaste Coalition has pledged to monitor post-election waste nationwide and advocate for electoral reforms that enshrine environmental responsibility into the very fabric of campaign practices. These include regulations limiting non-biodegradable materials, mandatory post-campaign clean-up plans, and incentives for eco-friendly campaign strategies.

Because at the heart of it all, this isn’t just a battle against litter—it's a battle for integrity, responsibility, and a livable future.

POST-ELECTION CLEAN-UP: Members of the EcoWaste Coalition conducted a clean-up drive around Flora Ylagan High School in Quezon City a day after the national and local elections to call on candidates to take responsibility for campaign waste and comply with COMELEC’s clean-up directive.

POST-ELECTION CLEAN-UP (Filipino): Nagsagawa ng isang clean-up drive ang EcoWaste Coalition sa paligid ng Flora Ylagan High School sa Quezon City isang araw matapos ang halalan upang hikayatin ang mga kandidato na panagutan ang basurang dulot ng kampanya at sumunod sa kautusan ng COMELEC ukol sa clean-up.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As the founder of Wazzup Pilipinas and a firm advocate for responsible governance and environmental consciousness, I commend the EcoWaste Coalition for not just picking up the trash—but picking up where our leaders often fall short. The time has come for our politicians to realize that real leadership does not end at the ballot box—it begins when the spotlight fades and the clean-up begins.

The Aguilar-Villar Hold on Las Piñas: Why Mark Santos’ Victory Isn’t the Anti-Dynasty Triumph It Seems

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In the 2025 local elections, Mark Anthony Santos’ win in Las Piñas was hailed by many as a revolutionary blow against entrenched political dynasties. But behind the cheers and viral headlines lies a deeper truth: Santos didn’t defeat the Aguilar-Villar dynasty—he rode its internal fractures to power.

Las Piñas, long known as the bastion of the Aguilar-Villar political empire, remains firmly in their grip. Senator Cynthia Villar, once the city’s representative, is a key pillar of the dynasty that has ruled the city for decades. Her daughter, Camille Villar, soared among the top senatorial candidates in Las Piñas, securing strong support from the family’s power base. The city’s current Mayor and Vice Mayor? Both are Aguilars. And the council? Still populated by at least three Aguilar family members.

It is within this dynastic landscape that Santos emerged—not as an outsider breaking the system, but as a candidate who benefitted from the family's rare internal discord.

A House Divided, But Still Standing

What many voters failed to see through the noise of campaign season was a strategic fracture within the Aguilar clan. Multiple Aguilar family members ran for key positions, splitting the vote base that usually consolidated behind a single heir apparent. Instead of presenting a united front, the dynasty fielded competing candidates—an unusual and risky political maneuver that paved the way for a non-family name to slip through the cracks.

Enter Mark Anthony Santos.

Running under the Aguilar banner, Santos was not the rebel many thought he was. His campaign quietly aligned with some of the Aguilars, ensuring he wasn’t challenging the dynasty so much as navigating through its temporary divisions. He didn’t tear down a political machine—he simply outpaced the other cogs.

Political observers suggest that this split was not accidental. It may have been a calculated decision to retain control regardless of outcome. By fielding multiple candidates across different factions of the family, the dynasty ensured that no matter who won, their interests would remain protected. Santos, intentionally or not, became part of that strategy.

The Dynasty Still Rules

The idea that Santos’ win signals a new chapter for Las Piñas politics is premature at best, misleading at worst. The dynasty is still deeply entrenched:

Camille Villar’s popularity is growing—her Senate win reinforced the family's national influence.

Local government remains dominated by Aguilars from top to bottom, including executive and legislative positions.

Policy direction, power consolidation, and influence networks remain unchanged.

Even Santos, whether willingly or due to political necessity, must now navigate a city hall surrounded by Aguilar loyalists. Without structural changes, the same power dynamics continue—just with a new name at the front.

False Hope in a Familiar Game

The bigger issue at play is the illusion of choice. When political dynasties fracture, they don’t lose—they diversify. Voters are presented with the façade of opposition, but behind the scenes, alliances, deals, and legacies continue as usual.

Mark Anthony Santos may be mayor, but Las Piñas is still very much under the political gravity of the Aguilar-Villar dynasty. Until the electorate sees past surface-level narratives and demands deeper systemic reforms—such as an Anti-Political Dynasty Law—true political renewal will remain elusive.

Conclusion: A Cautionary Tale

Santos’ ascent is not a David vs. Goliath tale. It is a Shakespearean subplot—a family divided, a new face elevated, but the throne unchanged.

For Las Piñas residents hoping for real change, the challenge isn’t just voting in a new mayor. It’s understanding the game they’ve been asked to play—and demanding a new one entirely.

A National Reckoning: The Fall of Artista Politics and the Gathering Storm of 2028

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Crumbling of a Facade

What the Philippines witnessed in the most recent senatorial race was nothing short of a political reckoning — a seismic, full-throated rejection of celebrity politics that once held the electorate in its hypnotic grip.

Ben Tulfo, Bong Revilla, Manny Pacquiao, Philip Salvador, Willie Revillame. All of them — decimated at the polls. It wasn’t just a loss. It was annihilation. A decisive end to the illusion that name recall and showbiz fame could substitute for competence, policy depth, and moral clarity.

And while Lito Lapid remains the lone survivor of this crumbling archetype, it is clear: the Filipino people have had enough.

Even Monsour Del Rosario, Lucky Manzano, Mocha Uson, and Marco Gumabao — familiar faces once thought to have political traction — were steamrolled in what can only be described as electoral Armageddon. The people, it seems, no longer want screen time; they want substance.

This is not just a blip. This is a cultural shift.

The Death Knell for Alyansa

But the political bloodbath didn’t end there. The Alyansa slate, backed by the Marcos administration, collapsed in spectacular fashion.

It was more than a loss — it was a repudiation.

The slate’s failure mirrored the administration’s plummeting numbers: Bongbong Marcos' approval rating now languishes at 24%, even lower than Joe Biden at his most unpopular. House Speaker Martin Romualdez fares worse, with a trust rating of 14% — dipping below the darkest moments of Nancy Pelosi’s political career.

The message is unmistakable.

The electorate has opened its eyes. The dazzle of “Unity” has faded, replaced by the harsh glow of unmet promises, tone-deaf policies, and a presidency that squandered the most generous mandate in modern Philippine history.

Bongbong Marcos' political resurrection — once touted as the most audacious and historic in global democratic politics — has floundered under the weight of its own vanity. He was handed a golden opportunity to rewrite the Marcos legacy. Instead, the silver spoon became a gag.

Tulfo’s Tumult and the Rise of Purpose-Driven Politics

Equally stunning was the fall of Ben Tulfo — a shocker given the Tulfo brand’s media dominance. His brother Erwin, once also considered a powerhouse, fell silent and saw his poll numbers nosedive.

The collapse is telling. In an age where charisma is no longer enough, it’s the cause that matters.

Bong Go, Bam Aquino, Bato dela Rosa, Kiko Pangilinan, Rodante Marcoleta — their campaigns soared not because of spectacle, but because they stood for something.

They refused to kneel. They drew lines in the sand. They offered visions — some divisive, others idealistic — but all deliberate.

The Gathering Storm of 2028

What comes next is the reckoning.

The stage is now set for what will be the most defining political battle of our generation: DDS vs. Yellows and Pinks — a revolutionary rubber match.

On one side:

The Diehard Duterte Supporters, a movement like no other. Tens of millions across classes B to E, galvanized by a deeply emotional connection to the Davao strongman. If Rodrigo Duterte — now facing potential prosecution in the Hague — becomes a martyr or even just an ailing hero, the resulting surge of loyalty will elevate his image to stratospheric heights. Martin Luther King. Mandela. Gandhi. The DDS will make sure Duterte is remembered in the same breath.

On the other side:

The Pink Movement, whose momentum did not die in 2022. Fueled by idealism, intellectual rigor, and a new generation of youth voters, they’ve only grown stronger. From 15 million believers, their numbers have quietly swelled. They have passion, organization, and a sense of moral mission.

Expect 2028 to pit Sara Duterte, Bong Go, and Robin Padilla against Leni Robredo, Bam Aquino, and Kiko Pangilinan.

It will be a clash of political titans — fueled by revenge, redemption, and raw vision.

Not since the revolutionary days of EDSA have the ideological divides in this country been this pronounced, this visceral, this real.

No More Spectacle Without Substance

The Filipino people are no longer content with laugh tracks, action scenes, or late-night variety shows masquerading as policy.

We are witnessing the emergence of a discerning electorate. One that refuses to be manipulated by name recognition or dramatic monologues. One that demands vision and virtue in equal measure.

This recent electoral result is a cultural earthquake. The aftershocks will reverberate well into 2028.

And when the dust settles, one thing will be clear:

The age of artista politics is dying.

A new era — volatile, electric, and transformative — is being born.

Brace yourselves. The real fight is just beginning.