[Rappler’s Best] Alex — and a dream run to remember

It was all in a day, and there has never been one like it in the newsroom in recent memory. 

On Friday, March 28, candidates for local posts in the May elections officially launched their campaigns; America’s defense secretary paid a whirlwind visit to Malacañang and Camp Aguinaldo; a former president turned 80 years old behind bars, marked by rallies here and abroad; a powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and Thailand, killing thousands; and the Philippines’ 19-year-old tennis sensation played the biggest game of her life in Miami.

Alex Eala showed to the world once again what Filipinos are capable of — and why we deserve better than murderous and corrupt leaders. In her display of grit, grace, and smarts at the Miami Open last week, she made us question ourselves why we persist in voting clowns and cheats to office.

Alex trounced three battle-scarred elites in women’s tennis before she faced Jessica Pegula on Friday in a scintillating match that made tennis icon Chris Evert gasp. “Incredible that Alex Eala still has anything left in her considering the teen has beaten three Grand Slam champs,” Evert wrote on X. 

Alex lost to Pegula, but she had by then made history and awed the world.

• Eala pulled off upsets by defeating No. 2 Iga Swiatek, No. 5 Madison Keys, and No. 25 Jelena Ostapenko.
• Tennis has so much potential in the Philippines — “if we can have the support to back it up,” Alex said.
• What’s next for her? Here’s what we can expect.
• Alex herself said that the “real work starts now.”

And while we drown in the noise set off by the arrest of International Criminal Court suspect Rodrigo Duterte, Lian Buan walks us through the scenarios, entitlements, and prospects of him staying in jail beyond September. She introduces us to Emily Soriano, who thought Duterte targeted only the addicts — until gunmen killed her son at the height of the drug war.

By sheer coincidence, Duterte’s birthday fell on the day of the kickoff of local campaigns for the May 12 elections, prompting his supporters to mobilize “prayer rallies” here and in select cities abroad. 

Joey Salgado writes a sad commentary about the state of minds — and hearts — of migrant Filipinos who continue to support “Tatay Digong.” From The Hague, Ben Moncerate tells us why, to this day, Duterte’s supporters stand by his war on drugs.

We tried to make sense of Friday’s events in this panel discussion even as we covered the campaigns in battleground areas. 

At the hustings, former vice president Leni Robredo launched her mayoral campaign in Naga City by dancing with volunteers, while reelectionist Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto was introduced by his actor-father as the “next president” of the Philippines (don’t get too excited; he will only be 39 in the 2028 presidential elections, ineligible for the race.). Defeated presidential candidate Isko Moreno is seeking a comeback in Manila as mayor.

• Urbanization woes are top of mind for voters in Metro Manila, as Iya Gozum reports.
• Health care is a key election issue for voters in Laguna, according to Dwight de Leon. 
• In Baguio City, Frank Cimatu asks: Will it open its door to a political dynasty? 

Dwight de Leon also points to the elephant in the room of the Marcos administration’s senatorial slate: Why the business interests of senatorial candidate Camille Villar and her family are an election issue. Watch it here.

Check our election page for all the other updates you need. 

Here are some of Rappler’s bests that you shouldn’t miss:

JC Punongbayan gives us a reality check on remittances from Filipinos abroad, which are now down to 7.4% of our gross national income — a huge drop from before.

Mario Aurelio helps us understand the fatal earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand, and what we can learn from it.

Juno Reyes interviews campaign jingle makers and a campaign strategist about effective jingles, and how they’ve changed over time. 

Lian Buan tells it like it is about veteran lawyer Estelito Mendoza, who died last week.

Gaby Baizas digs into how Filipino social media users have sexualized and belittled prominent women politicians over the years.

– Rappler.com

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