Hello! I’m 77 years old, and I have participated in our country’s elections only two times—that was when my own father ran for mayor in our place in 1970, and then when my brother was a mayoralty candidate for the same office in 1986.
I did not believe in Philippine elections — I mean, I have lost faith in the electoral process when I became an activist way back in early 1970. But I campaigned and voted for my father because I believed in his integrity. Sadly he did not win. I also campaigned for my brother and voted for him. That was at a time fresh from the Edsa experience. I purposely came home to our town in order to help in my brother’s candidacy. And yes, he won! But sadly again, he was cheated. Grabe! It was heartbreaking. For him.
In this patch of earth and seas in our planet, people with extraordinary good sense and integrity seldom win in electoral contests, if at all. I remember the late Senator Lorenzo Tañada, when he vied for a presidential post—that was I think in the 1960s? He was kulelat in the contest. Did Senator Jovito Salonga join in a presidential race and win? And if Senator Jose Diokno aimed for the presidency after martial law period, he would have suffered the same fate.
Former President Cory Aquino called Senator Diokno “a man of sterling character”. And yet she did not appoint him Justice Secretary which some quarters in the political circles wanted him to hold. It could be that she did not want an anti-American imperialist in her cabinet (?). Maybe she took seriously what Senator Joker Arroyo jokingly said that “Iyan si Pepe nagliliyab kapag nakakita ng Amerikano!”
In not so distant past, the late Senator Raul Roco, after losing to Gloria Arroyo, was described as “the Best President the Philippines could have had”. He lost to the “most corrupt Lady President” that ever occupied Malacañang.
Now, we are again in a crucial juncture of our country’s existential reality. Change? Or Status Quo? Perhaps, we need to bring back to life the famous trio — Peter, Paul and Mary. Let us ask them to sing for us the following lyrics to the tune of Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
Where Have All the Presidents Gone?
Where have all the Presidents gone
Long time passing
Where have all the Presidents gone
Long time ago
Where have all the Presidents gone
They have gone puppets everyone
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the puppets gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the puppets gone?
Long time ago.
Where have all the puppets gone?
Gone to imperialists everyone
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all good candidates gone?
Long time passing
Where have all good candidates gone?
Long time ago.
Where have all good candidates gone?
They’ve gone cheated everyone
Oh, when will we ever learn
Oh, when will we ever learn
Where have all the cheaters gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the cheaters gone?
Long time ago.
Where have all the cheaters gone?
Gone to Malacañang everyone
Oh, when will we ever learn
Oh, when will we ever learn
Where have all Malacañangs gone?
Long time passing
Where have all Malacañangs gone?
Long time ago
Where have all Malacañangs gone?
Gone to corruption, everyone
Oh, when will they ever learn
Oh, when will they ever learn
Thanks to Peter, Paul and Mary, the song can go on and on in endless lyrical trail of the history of Philippine presidency. The lyrics to be more objective could have take on the familiar sounds of real persons’ names. It could very well start with Manuel A. Roxas down to Marcos and down to Arroyo, and then to the incumbent Noynoy Aquino. There is a chain of canine devotion to American imperialism that links the puppet regime of each one of them.
Starting from Mar’s grandpa, the Parity Amendment compromised the Filipino nation to the infinite interests and influence of the United States of America. That was the very a priori act that was to shackle the succeeding Philippine presidents to a chain of puppet regimes until the incumbent government of Noynoy Aquino.
Will there ever be a possibility we can extricate ourselves from this historical curse—this chain of puppetry by which the Filipino nation has remained stagnant through well over half a century of its existence? Will the 2016 Elections change the course of history?
The conduct of the campaign undertaken by the self-proclaimed presidential candidates foreshadows a perpetuation of the political system that sustains the Status Quo. Never have we heard from any one of them –Mar Roxas, Binay and Poe—an intelligent analysis of the conditions plaguing Philippine society, much more a presentation of a vision of society aimed to be established for the future. And necessarily, in conformance to such vision— if there ever exists one formulation by anyone of them! — a blueprint of the imperative plans and programs!— yes, the short-term and long-term goals ! — for the attainment of such vision! Is there any?
What we witness are mudslinging, left and right, character assassination around the clock. Not one of the three presidential bets have taken up the alarming issue of the deepening culture of impunity that has spawned a state of rising fascism evidenced by the unabated killings of Lumads and peasants in the countryside, and the harassment of advocacy groups in the form of trumped up charges! Not one of the three has shown concern of the rising criminality which by and large have been often related to the drug menace.
If there ever is a voice that asserts its lone commitment to the protection of the human rights of Lumads, it comes from a yet undecided presidentiable Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City. He has categorically said he is not interested in the presidency, but the considerable groundswell of support may yet overturn his ‘indecision’.
Verily, the good mayor’s much awaited declaration to join the contest can change the entire character and conduct of the campaign, let alone the central issue of the campaign. We have heard him a number of times over and he has in no uncertain terms sounded loud and clear his partiality for Federalism. And he is a no-nonsense advocate for the elimination of the drug menace. His pronouncements vis-à-vis American interventionism is also a well-articulated positioning. All in all, his maverick stance on ticklish issues, something the other three are either tight-lipped or timid to ever consider a comment, on account of their subscription –shamefaced subscription—to patronage politics.
So, if Philippine politics has been a circus phenomenon in all its fanfare and clownish events, this time around, it might just be a historical crossroad for a nation so long mired in political deviltry that has laid waste the human and material resources of a country blest with incalculable richness and potential for real greatness.
