Tattered Convictions

By Rolo B. Cena
Arabian Diaries
Dumaguete Star Informer
19 February 2010

Indeed, the great carnival parade on earth has placed the major thoroughfares of the country livelier than any circus presented to barrio folks! It’s showtime, once again!

What annoyed us overseas workers is not the number of contenders for any or all elective posts of the land but the candidacy of the three political figures whose convictions are tattered by their greed-driven political platforms.

In November 30, 2009, GMA filed her COC to run as representative of the second district of her home province, Pampanga, at the end of her term. With this act, she became the first president of the Republic to run for a position inferior of her incumbent.

On the same day, deposed and plunder-convicted Joseph Estrada filed to run for president and Imelda Marcos, widow of the late Ferdinand Marcos, for representative in the Marcos territory of Ilocos Norte. Ferdinand Marcos was thrown out of power via the 1986 People Power Revolution.

GMA is punctuating her scandalous term, the second technically, in May 2010. While she has brilliant projects accorded to the Filipino community and to the entire Republic in general, major corruption scandals discredited her administration that gave her the lowest of popularity ratings so far received by any Filipino president since the restoration of Philippine democracy in 1986.

The unresolved “Hello Garci”, ZTE Deal, extra-judicial killings, Maguindanano Massacre, and the detention of the 43 Morong health workers are among the highly publicized and criticized scandal that have become regular tabloid staples, which Filipinos are trying to swallow without water.

Estrada is no less than the troubled legendary boxer trying to regain his title in the square-roped ring. Convicted of plunder in 2002 in a Senate Impeachment Tribunal for receiving pay-offs from jueteng, an illegal form of gambling, his bid for presidency is more ambitious than that of GMA and Marcos’.

If I were Erap, I would have opted to run for a senate seat to regain my lost grounds, re-establish linkages, re-work my platform and maneuver my presidency from there, rather than hit the cherry with a blind fold.

While he may not be a serious contender for presidency as of even date, the forgive-and-forgive attitude of the pliant-minded Filipinos may still catapult him to power.

Imelda Marcos is no less than an estranged wife betrayed by a husband trying to win the household once again. Known for her lavish lifestyle, Imelda’s re-entry into active politics is wittingly a tactical move to be into power again via the lower house vehicle. Used to be the second most influential figure in the Dictatorial Era as the Governor of the Metropolitan Manila Authority (MMDA), Imelda purposely ornamented her political power with the grace of arts and culture. Her fetish collecting of shoes and her impulsive execution of extravagant projects discredited most of her noble acts, though.

But of the three, a serious analysis has to be employed in the candidacy of GMA. Being still in power as president gives her unfair political and electoral advantage over her opponents. No one in this case can beat her. She can win, seek the speakership and from this juncture, influence the house for the endorsement of the parliamentary shift and win for her again the Prime Minister post. Her allies in the house can easily endorse the approval. This is, if administration bet survives the ordeal of the hotly contested post of the land.

Arguably though, history puts it that the administration candidate has always the edge over other opponents in the canvassing of votes regardless of who wins in the electoral process.

Surprisingly, after filing the COC, GMA still clings to her power in the Palace. She needs to resign for two reasons: to give her opponent in the congressional race a dose of fairness; and, delicadeza. But then again, people would agree that the first can be done, if she is willing to while the second is, of course, not her cup of tea. And she is not bent of doing that, or at least, there is no sign that she is leaving the Palace now.

These candidacies are apparent attack to the ground rules of Philippine politics and a blatant insult to the intelligence of the voting populace. Certainly though, we cannot blame the candidates for things like these do happen because we, the voting public, allow these to happen.

But then again, whatever platforms the three of them maybe brandishing till the end of the campaign period, the political vehicles they are all driving are totally and completely dilapidated that major overhaul has to be carried out now. And this “overhauling” activity has something to do with the “electoral attitude” Filipino electorate have been displaying since the first election was held.

Take note of that, Philippines!