TODAY in plazas, drinking spots, and other social spaces of Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental, politics dominate conversations. They become more spirited with some people taking sides as others take offense at some ugly political character, act, or event.
Much of the exchange owes to the bastardized way the so-called party system has shaped up. Whether in the city or in the province—or island-wide and nation-wide!—the trapos are out for themselves, each one jockeying for personal advantage.
Nowhere does one hear talk of community wellbeing or common good. No one speaks of organizing on a societal scale, or at least community-wide, embracing all sectors, to address the need for reforms.
Do the parties have ideals? No one seems to know what they even stand for. No one knows what they’re advocating, what changes they wish to initiate. There is no talk of policies, principles, or a platform. Do they have standards for party membership, criteria for recruitment? Ask them.
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Take the alleged party, Padayon Pilipino: Does character matter in its membership? Or social standing? Or record of service? Who knows!
All anyone knows is one must learn to kneel or genuflect before its patriarch in order to gain his patronage—and therefore also the patronage of all officials beholden to him, starting with the ones in the barangay.
Among Filipino parties in general, membership boils down to what an aspiring politico brings to the table in terms of money, influence, or popularity. It matters not whether one is undereducated, superficial, or morally flawed; if he’s wealthy or popular or expert at manipulating politics and economics, party doors open wide for him.
As for integrity, whether at personal or organizational level, the so-called parties evince no sense of social concern, responsibility, or statesmanship.
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Does anyone wonder why he sees no heroic performance in their actuations or advocacies? There are no heroes among the party members even in the face of disaster or tragedy. Name one! Or ask where the Mayor was the night Typhoon Sendong crept into the city and laid waste its riverside barangays.
The concept of leadership in our politics has been reduced to the trivial, the banal, the vain, and the corrupt. Campaigning for public office no longer entails championing of ideas, just posturing and pretension... and lots of money, the people’s money at that!
This is why election campaigns no longer create excitement. Only if money flows—liberally!—do elections create excitement. It is money that lubricates personal interest and public attention.
In a democracy, political choices are supposed to be the central concern of citizens. Their attention is supposed to focus on ideals and visions offered by contending parties—ideas and programs meant for the attainment of a desirable future.
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But look around now, listen to the news, or hear the street-level exchanges; our citizens are being toyed with, reduced to groping around for viable choices.
The truth is, very few Cagayanos or Misamisnons have an idea of what alternatives exist for their city or their province by way of programs or policies of government.
Why? Because we, The Sovereign Citizens, allow politics to be dominated by pretentious personalities and grandstanding oligarchs and dynasties. And of course, it is they who transform election campaigns into nothing more than a contest of wild promises, false claims, gimmickry, and corrupt maneuvering.
When do we wake up?
(Author of books on governance, Manny Valdehuesa is national chairman and convenor of Gising Barangay Movement Inc. valdehuesa@gmail.com)
