And then there were 4

STA. MARIA. Key advantage.

LAST Sunday “voting-off” telecast of “The X-Factor Philippines” was a stunner and bamboozler in more ways than five: First off, the popular finalist, Jeric Medina, bit the dust, after weeks of good performances that had some uzis, yours truly included, predicting that he would end up among the tilt’s Final Three.

Next, the continuing survival of a less dynamic bet, Gab Maturan, is a testament to his and his supporters’ determination, against all odds. Since “X Factor” is a numbers game, we’ll just have to live with its less-than-judicious verdicts, and charge them to so-called “democratic” experience.

Noteworthy in a different way is the survival of the only finalist from the “groups” category still “alive and singing,” Daddy’s Home. In general, groups have a harder time clicking with viewer-voters than soloists, so it’s quite amazing that the dads’ bid is still a viable proposition.

True, they shared the bottom-dweller position last Sunday with Jeric, which means that they got the second to the lowest number of total “votes” cast—so, their fans will just have to work much harder to get them into the tilt’s all-important Final Three next week.

Stellar bid

If they do make it, whose stellar bid would they displace? We still think that Gab is a relatively weak finalist, but his voters could prove us wrong again. As for KZ Tandingan, we don’t have access to relative voting data, but she appears to be one of the top favorites, so she will probably (knock on wood) survive.

What about the youngest survivor, Allen Sta. Maria? Don’t count her out just yet. As the bunso in the tilt’s batch of surviving finalists, she’s most accessible and empathetic to the show’s teen and ‘tween viewers, and that could be a key advantage for her.

In addition, for some weeks now, she’s been coming across as quite the musical and stylistic chameleon, drastically changing her look and thus surprising viewers with her “visual versatility.” So, she would probably (fingers crossed) enter the finals with KZ.

—So, who’ll be the odd finalist out next Sunday, Gab or Daddy’s Home? In terms of ability, the dads would seem to have an edge. But, as the derailment of Jeric’s winning bid all too stunningly proved, when it comes to competitions decided by votes, “logic” can only go so far.

That being the case, all four surviving finalists have no choice but to redouble and even quadruple their vote-generating efforts. —No pie in the sky for those who don’t do or die!

Perhaps it’s time for the non-fans to weigh in and vote, so that the ultimate verdict won’t be completely in the hands of some finalists’ perfervid and better-heeled “diehard” supporters? If the voting is left up to the gung-ho loyalists, the most deserving bet may not emerge as the tilt’s rightful victor. So, stop griping about the wrong decisions being made—and, vote!

(PS: A final word for KZ—Early on, you scored a direct hit with viewers with your unique combination of singing and rapping, but you’ve strayed from that winning combination since. It’s time to bring it back!)