“We have to find the courage to change it.”
Marlen Ronquillo, writing for another paper, describes the dynasties that have once more fielded their unworthy kin among the also unworthy crop (crap?) of 183 senatorial candidates that trooped to the Comelec last week, as a “confederacy of the underwhelming.” Such an eloquent description.
Over the past days when hundreds filed their certificates of candidacy for membership in the once-august body called the Senate, there have been several reactions on social media raising questions on the quality of many who filed.
There are those who ask a very real question: why is it that to be employed in government or the private sector, you need to pass civil service examinations, or be a college graduate?
Yet to be a senator or higher, you only need to be able to read and write, aside from being a natural-born citizen of the Republic, the latter qualification having been “legally” thwarted by some whose citizenship credentials have been questioned.
Well, if a Robinhood topped the senatorial games in 2022, why in the name of equality and democracy are we questioning if everyone else thinks he qualifies to be senator as well?
It’s the system, stupid.
When the 1987 Constitution written by the unelected yet academically qualified wanted a parliamentary system, but decided at the last minute by one solitary vote to revert to a presidential system, they became too lazy to review the other articles and sections of their draft that were incongruent with a presidential form of government.
Which is why we have this babel called a multi-party system, where even idiots can invent political parties and use these as flags of convenience.
That is why we have a party-list system patterned after many European parliaments with no clear distinction between the “marginalized” and the “privileged” because of wealth or dynastic entitlements, usually both.
The whole government is a “confederacy of the underwhelming”, not that even a quarter of those running for public office even understand that expressive description of Marlen, thanks to the confused and confusing 1987 Constitution.
Sadly, all attempts to alter its imperfections and incongruities, because ill-motivated, have failed, and we have to live with a system that sucks.
Think of the gaggle of celebrities and non -performers the Alyansa ng Lumang Pilipinas is foisting upon us. It is a listing copied straight from SWS and Pulse, Octa and Laylo, and what have you. “Winnability” according to statistics is the sole qualification.
And cry when you read about the other candidates the “opposition,” however you may define their disparate groupings, have fielded as alternatives to the survey winnables. But for three or four, they are not winnable.
So likelier than not, we will be left with a Senate which will be a stronghold of dynasties, two to encore a duet, two more to make a trio.
By 2025, we will have two estranged brothers from the same patriarch, a brother-and-sister tag-team, and another brother-and-sister tandem, all from Metro Manila. Plus of course the triple treat of broadcast siblings. Nine so far.
Then we have three celluloid action stars whose dynasties so far are limited to lower house occupants and LGUs, but mark my word, soon their scions will either join their “retirable” patriarchs or replace them when the time comes. Plus a real action star in the boxing ring who has bred his own dynasty in twin provinces in the deep south.
We have one from another Metro Manila dynasty who will replace her sister. And another from its neighbor dynasty across the river.
All right, instead of writing in riddles, let me name them: Two Estrada-Ejercitos, two Cayetanos, two Villars, three Tulfos, one ‘supremo’ Lapid, one Robinhood, one Bong-duts, one Pacman, one Binay and one Abalos.
If they all win come May, as the surveys predict, we will have fourteen, and if they band together, they can elect the next Senate president from among their ranks.
All because there is no winnowing system, as where genuine political parties vet the credentials and choose by convention or a similar method, who to field as candidates for electoral office. Here, we just leave it to the Comelec to determine the “nuisance” from the serious. Pray tell, George, what are the reasons for pruning the list from 183 to 66? Why not include the dynasts? Ah, but that is unconstitutional, n’est-ce pas?
To repeat: it’s the system, stupid. And unless we finally find the courage to change the system and make it sane enough, we will be doomed to repeat the same over and over again, and have “bobotantes” choosing the leaders of a benighted land.
