Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) showcase and politics never belong in the same boat, yet here we are.

Senate President Allan Peter Cayetano recently went viral online and faced backlash from the netizens after using ultra-expensive Pokemon cards as an analogy to address the current senate controversies and national issues last Saturday, May 23. The move appeared to be shallow and unprofessional to the people, reflecting a lack of seriousness expected from a high-ranking senate leader.

Cayetano is a known, long-term Pokemon TCG collector, as he was regularly spotted in shops and conventions with clips of him posted from various social media platforms like X and Tiktok. However, this background and his analogy did not help at all; instead, it made governance look like an entertainment and a performance, not service nor leadership.

Politics is not a game, and the Senate is not a stage for reduced explanations. While some argue that using pop culture references such as Pokemon makes political issues more relatable and easier for the public audience to understand, those arguments weigh less given the current level of public awareness, especially among younger generations. I have seen my own elementary cousins being exposed to political discussions through online platforms at such a young age. Thus, I do not think there was a need to use TCG metaphors for such problems, because it shows how unavoidable and visible these problems have become in our daily lives, regardless of age. Hence, Cayetano’s logic looked like a way to get attention only, rather than a way to lead for the people.

Moreover, this was not the first time that our senate has looked more like a Netflix drama than public service. From Senator Robin Padilla’s emotional public statements and dramatic defenses against his fellow colleagues in court, to former Philippines National Police (PNP) chief, now Senator, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s viral chase footage that quickly became a meme material online, serious national issues are increasingly being treated as an exhibit for engagement, shifting away from discussions centered on professionalism and responsibility.

Governance should be treated seriously, not some sort of fictional game like Pokemon. Politics here in the Philippines is being treated like a show—a circus of responsibility. Thus, people online became frustrated because when politicians like Cayetano use half-baked analogies, it can crack the people’s trust. What was meant to educate the people just ended up insulting their intelligence, as he diminished such a serious matter into something so trivial and messy. The criticism struck because Cayetano’s explanation became part of the problem. Afterall, Cayetano tried to play Pokemon politics and the Filipinos did not buy it this time.

The Frontman