We need authentic parties

THE poor state of politics in our city and province (and country, for that matter!) is the outcome of a failed party system. Political parties are the pillars of a democratic political system.

In turn, the pillars of a party system are party leaders with a commitment to the democratic way of life, honest elections, people empowerment, and good governance.

Without this commitment, their so-called party can produce little or no benefit to the community or constituency. Authentic political parties exemplify the democratic order they claim to represent and uphold. They have authentic members—people that join and contribute and share the party’s work in promoting and institutionalizing its ideal of good governance.
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Authentic parties do not consist only of sycophants, subsidized supporters, opportunists, and others with vested interest sharing the spoils of political power.

In that sense, we really don’t have genuine political parties, only pretentious groups that sport a party label. Such groups benefit mostly the oligarchs and handlers that fund their activities, use them for self-serving motives, and manipulate them for propaganda purposes.

Strictly speaking, they’re just syndicates out to control the electorate and, through them, the resources of the community and society at large. Moreover, they’re dependent upon the oligarch that organizes and leads them.
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Who are the oligarchs? They are Jojo Binay and he does so for UNA, using Makati’s expansive budget. PNoy and Butch Abad do that for the Liberals, using Malacanang’s budget.

There’s Manny Villar for the Nacionalistas, and Danding Cojuangco for the Nationalist People’s Coalition. And of course, there’s Dongkoy Emano and his so-called Padayon Pilipino Party, not to mention the alphabet soup of the so-called party-list groups.

All of these alleged parties are doing a disservice to the nation and to democracy. They do not benefit the people as much as the oligarchs and handlers that run them.

Because such groups are tolerated, little by way of party activity takes place in the community. It’s mostly theater, gimmickry, or grandstanding—events that are distinguished more for their dysfunctional or corrupt nature than for their role in making politics orderly, efficient, or democratic.
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Thus, instead of being an asset to freedom, democracy, people empowerment, and good government, our so-called political parties are more of a liability. They are not agencies for recruiting, training, or deploying champions of democracy and good governance.

Their candidates often are destroyers of democracy by manipulating the electorate and superimposing upon the community their dynasties, cronies, and surrogates who institutionalize the culture of corruption and impunity.

An example of their wrongful ways is the brouhaha surrounding the competition for Grace Poe as their candidate for vice president. Both the ruling party and the opposition want her. But the irony of it all is, she’s not even a member of either group!
The desperate quest for her favor reveals how bankrupt both groups are, how bereft they are of worthy leaders who might qualify as vice president. And most silly of all, no less than PNoy has been doing the courting for the Liberal Party, inviting Grace Poe to Malacanang dinners for the purpose!

Meanwhile, their alleged members—on all levels—simply watch and await who will be anointed by their alleged leaders. They’re not consulted. They hold no caucuses nor nominating conventions. Belonging to a party is just a label for whatever convenience it bestows!

(Author of books on governance, Manny Valdehuesa is the national chairman/convenor of Gising Barangay Movement Inc. valdehuesa@gmail.com)