There are universal verities which we can learn from the decisive defeat of President Donald Trump:

1. The electorate cannot be fooled twice by an elected President who has acted erratically and irresponsibly. He or his proxy will be rejected in the immediately succeeding election.

2. A President as Head of State cannot moonlight as the prime court jester.

3. Lies and false propaganda cannot be embellished without being unmasked.

4. Policy flip-flopping has its limits and cannot prevail for long.

5. Failure to successfully confront the Covid-19 pandemic is a political pitfall.

6. The politics of sowing discord merits the people’s wrath.

7. Broken promises for reforms take their toll on election day.

8. Conceding inevitable defeat helps heal a divided nation, and upholds respect for the sanctity of the ballot.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN