Politics like no other

Ruffy Magbanua

THE 2nd presidential debate in Cebu was a blame-game like no other. This is Philippine politics in action – unrelenting, deceptive and at times more than a labyrinth of empty rhetorics said in jest before the Filipino electorate.

But in fairness, I think a certain degree of that Cebu debate was a bit of a refinement from the first salvo in Cagayan de Oro, like the extended time,  though overshadowed by the one-hour or so delay because of Jejomar Binay’s utter disregard of the Comelec’s debate rules.

Up close, the four presidential candidates were in formal garbs, except for Mar Roxas who donned an informal wear, an apparent reflection of his flamboyant display of “rich-boy image.”

Yet anyone who has been listening to the discourse of the debate was well aware that the presidential aspirants who were lined up en masse at UP Cebu’s rainbow-colored tent ruled out any sort of political alignment, and therefore the perceived common ground of political grandstanding prevails.

To fix the country’s economic and political woes is not a walk in the park, nor an easy task either for a house badly bitten by a virus called graft and corruption.

I find no problem with the result of the debate per se. As voters, we are entitled to listen to the candidates’ views, political, economic or otherwise.

And as taxpayers for that matter, we  are entitled to agglomerate our diverse  mindsets  into unifying forms of any kind–the very backbone of democracy  in this corrupt-stricken country.

What I do have a problem with, however, is political deception in the manner the campaigns  are held.

True to this notion, party junking has started to snowball this early with the Garcias of One Cebu dropping Binay like a hot potato, accusing  UNA’s infidelity and cavorting with the enemy.

More deceptions are on their way perhaps though I find this party alignment a cut-and-dry  in Philippine politics.

But surely, in the course of the campaign,  no amount of hullabaloos could stop the wisdom of the electorate whom to vote.

And after all had been said and done,  the very essence of democracy is not wasted at the very least–in this country where freedom of choice is freely exercised under a  political landscape copied from Uncle Sam.

This brings me to the  next point.

It is heartening to note though that the debates have challenged the wisdom of the   voting public.

The debates however astonished me no end–at how very audacious  presidential candidates can be: always on the run to manipulate the people’s mindset by way of  deceptive political maneuvers, mudslinging included.

Ideally,  all candidates, notwithstanding their political persuasions have to respect the thinking of the electorate and eventually give their absolute best to govern this country–with compassionate leadership and  political will.

Lastly, let’s take this political exercise with a grain of salt because when candidates promise the moon and the stars, most often than not, they become the problem and not the solution.  Jeers.

E-mail: ruffy44_ph2000@yahoo.com