IN the world of politics, fate is kinder to the victims of political persecution. Filipinos love an underdog and their sympathy belongs to the prey of the oppressor. When the mighty abuses its authority to silence or intimidate its enemies or perceived opponents, a feeling of rage seethes in the hearts of the common people. One does not have to hold a doctorate in politics to discern what is right or wrong, what is fair or foul, and what is good or bad politics. Our people can smell a political charlatan when they see or hear one.
When the so-called public servants, particularly those in power, resort to personal tirades, unethical conduct and baseless accusations to destroy their adversaries and besmirch their names, politics becomes an ignoble endeavor. Belittling another’s intelligence and education will not add luster to one’s knowledge. Political bullies should learn from the past.
In the 1965 presidential election between reelectionist President Diosdado Macapagal and challenger Ferdinand Marcos, the administration suspended the showing of Iginuhit ng Tadhana, a movie based on the life of Marcos, a couple of months before the polls. The banning of the movie only spurred sympathy for Marcos and elicited great interest from the public when it was finally shown shortly before the election. The movie proved to be the best election propaganda for Marcos, which helped him win the election.
Overkill backfires and instead of destroying, boosts the chances of a political rival. A more recent example involved the efforts of many Republican administrations in several states to make it difficult for the American black voters to cast their votes in the last US presidential election. This only galvanized African Americans to actively participate and solidly vote for Joe Biden.
In the 2016 election, President Duterte was the underdog. Now that he is wearing the other shoes, he should know how to walk the terrain.
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Politicizing a laudable government program to discriminate against or deprive the opposition of its benefits is the height of political immaturity. Nothing is more repugnant to the public than treating public funds as personal kitty by those who control the purse. For instance, pandemic cash aids should be devoid of politics. Covid-19 does not distinguish any political color. Statesmanship should be in abundant supply especially during a period of national crisis. But sad to say, it is the first quality that deserts an ambitious politician.
They say that “all is fair in love and war.” And to that they add: “Also in politics.” But that is not true. Public service is a noble calling. Only candidates who are imbued with integrity, moral character, honesty, fairness and justice deserve the public trust. People will elect those who will take the high moral ground in campaigning for our votes. The electorates should set up exacting criteria when electing candidates into public office. Theoretically, this is what our political law books teach us but it is more honored in breach than in practice.
The sad truth is that an elective position has become a priced commodity, and voting has become an expensive proposition. Votes go to the highest bidder. Unless we make a drastic overhaul of this egregious system, we can never throw out the depraved and unprincipled public officials who have ruled our country ever since the birth of our Republic. We never learn, although we go to the polls every 3 years. Our only consolation is that we get the chance to vote for a new despot every election. If we are not a sucker, what are we?
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Rags-to-riches narratives melt our hearts. Horatio Alger stories occupy a special place in our psyche that never fails to inspire people. Among the current presidentiables, Manny Pacquiao and Yorme Isko Moreno share impoverished backgrounds. The former was brought up from the squalor in General Santos City while the latter was raised from the urban blight in Tondo, Manila. They were dirt poor and putting food on the table was a daily struggle. They had to work odd jobs and even scavenge for food to keep the family from starving. Now both enjoy a life of security and comfort. They pursued a different calling and through industry and dedication to their craft, they excelled in their profession. Yorme survived by acting in the movies where he achieved relative success. He did some skin flicks, the fad at that time, which he readily admits. What is admirable is that he was not corrupted by the system. He remained clean cut unlike some of his contemporaries. Sen. Manny Pacquiao is one of the greatest boxers of all time in the world. He’s the only boxer to hold multiple world titles in 8 different weight divisions. This is a record, which may remain unbeaten forever. They parlayed their popularity among the masses by running for public office. Yorme Isko started out as a lowly city councilor of Manila and subsequently got elected as Vice Mayor. He had served both Fred Lim and Erap Estrada, two veteran politicians of national renown. Interestingly, he beat both of them when they all contested the mayorship in the last elections. Yorme Isko overwhelmingly won and the two conceded without any protest. Pacman also forayed into politics. When he lost in his first attempt to win the congressional seat in South Cotabato, he moved to Sarangani where he was elected as its Representative. He ran for Senator in 2016 and landed 7th among the 12 winning candidates. Both are on top of their game. Pacman is still into boxing and is disputing the World Boxing Association Welterweight title on August 22. Yorme is now the Mayor of the capital city of the Philippines. The two who are still in their 40s are considered as frontrunners for the Presidency. Both are giant-killers and command a strong following among the masses that have nourished them. Each of them has a compelling narrative, which an ordinary individual can easily identify with. I hope only one of them will finally run and support the other so as not to divide the votes of the common men from whom they sprang. It would be a dream ticket, if they form a tandem.
