HISTORY repeats itself like a broken record.
Before, it was conjugal dictatorship and cronies. Then, it was Kamag-anak, Inc. Now, we call it political dynasty. Really, there’s nothing new under the sun.
The Estradas had set a bad precedent when mother and son won simultaneous seats in the Senate. In the recent election, we saw senatoriables with kin already sitting in the Senate. That’s one the reasons why I did not vote for Alan Cayetano, Vic Magsaysay and Koko Pimentel (See my previous blog entry: http://inquirerbloggers.net/eleksyon2007/2007/05/16/why-i-did-not-vote-for-pichay-cayetano-et-al/).
In our country, we see fathers sitting as mayors with their children sitting as congressmen. In one city, four brothers ran for mayor, congressmen for both of its districts, and party-list representative. When the local official finishes his third term, he makes his wife run for the position. Then we also discover that some of the nominees of the party-lists are children of congressmen.
Why do we tolerate this? Before the election I went to Bicol. I asked a pedicab driver why he would vote for Dato Arroyo. He answered, “Siyempre anak siya ng pangulo. Eh di mas malakas sa taas.” (Of course, he is the son of the president. So he must be well-connected up there.) What if Dato loses this election? Does that mean the President will neglect that district in Bicol? That is why political dynasty is so unfair.
Now, these politicians claim that there’s no law against it. Granted, it may not be illegal. But it is immoral. Democracy is about equality. Where is equality in political dynasty? Is there equality when power is concentrated on just a few influential families? I heard Alan Cayetano say that kings pass on power to their sons. Mr. Cayetano, we are not under a monarchy. Well, at least in a monarchy, the king dies first before the prince takes over. Why not wait for your sister to step down before you run for senator? How can siblings (or father and son as in the case of the Pimentels) be a fair representative of the entire country? Where’s equality in that?
They claim that they are qualified. Fine. “Sila lang ba ang mga anak ng Diyos?” (Are they the only children of God?) Are they the only ones qualified? Plus, they are not just banking on their qualifications. They are taking advantage of name recall. That’s undue advantage. Did they focus solely on their qualifications in their campaign? Really now? Did the voters vote for them solely because they are qualified?
Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. claimed that political dynasty is not prohibited by the ten commandments. Well, Mr. Senator, it is. God said, “Thou shalt not steal.” Isn’t political dynasty stealing the opportunity to serve from others?
At least, Senator Panfilo Lacson had the moral courage not to allow one of his sons to run for a local elective position. He told his son not to run while he is a senator.
It seems to me that it’s all about power. I believe they just could not let go of power, that they just want to perpetuate themselves in power, that they lust for power so much that they want more of it. That’s why any anti-dynasty bill is doomed to failure even before it is put on paper.
May 26th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
To Pidro:
Wag mo isali ang America dito, walang nakasulat sa Constitution nila na bawal ang politcal dynasty. Pero dito sa atin meron sinasabi ang Saligang Batas. Kung wala yan sa Saligang Batas, wala akong pakialam kahit puro Senators Cayetano pa lahat sila sa Senate. Pero meron tayong batas pero patuloy nilang niyuyurakan ang Saligang Batas para sa kapakanan ng kanilang pamilya. Shame on them.
May 26th, 2007 at 11:34 am
i also did not vote for those senators that have their kin(s) still in the senate, like cayetano, pimentel, etc. together with the useless bunch just wanting to stay there for power. i truly hate candidates in the local position the likes of the binays who changes position with his wife and is now grooming their kids for the same position to stay in power and authority. the binays are popular for their yellow card … but people of makati, remember they are not using their own money for that, its your money they spend for the cost of the service plus whatever commission they generate that are at times bigger than the cost of the service. yes, the arroyos and lots of these candidates are spending millions of pesos from legal and illegal sources to be in power. they have tasted power and money and do not want out of it. can you imagine two or more relatives in the senate favoring to vote for a law in favor of a crooked business or the lords of the drugs, hweteng, etc.? these relatives in group will be the target of these crooked crooks because that will be an instant majority in their favor! pero… di nakikita ng mga magagaling nating mambabatas ito at wala daw masama rito kasi sila ang gumagawa ng maling ito at magaling sila…
May 23rd, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Bakit sa America okay lang? Si President George Bush Sr. at Goerge W. Bush, Jr. tapos kapatid nila si Jeb na Governor ng Florida.
Si President Clinton at asawang si Senator Hillary na tumatakbong Presidente rin.
Syempre ang Royalty ng American Politics na mga Kennedy. Isang Presidente, mga Senador, etc. at ang asawa ng California Governor Swarzenager na si Pam Shriver.
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:35 pm
I did not vote for Koko Pimentel ( he is my choice as one of the most qualified candidate for the Senate) because of the politcal dynasty issue. If he just wait until his father’s term has ended then I will surely vote for him. Mr. Pimentel said there’s nothing wrong, those politicians who want their relatives to run for public office, they said there is no law against political dynasty. To all of you (The Arroyos, Binays, Aquinos, Pimentels, Cayetanos, Angaras, Estrada, et al… I have the list of all political dynasties), I say, There is a law. Many of you are against tampering the Constitution and yet you are ignoring the fundamental law of the land. What did the Constitution provides on political dynasty?
SECTION 26, Article II on “Principles and State Policies” of the Philippine Constitution states that “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibits political dynasties as may be defined by law.”
They said there is no enabling law…the constitution are just waiting for the definition of political dynasty and who will define it? The clans? This provision of the Constitution is now a mere sentence…and everybody is tampering it. Who says that PGMA and administration people are the only ones tampering it? Almost all the politicians are tampering the Constitution.
Sa mga may dynasty….MAHIYA NAMAN KAYO!!!! ANG KAKAPAL NG MUKHA NIYO!!! DELIKADESA LANG…
TAKE NOTE: I am not pro-administration or anti-opposition, I AM ANTI-POLITICAL DYNASTY period.
I am happy that our Mayor (QC), Sonny Belmonte is not one of them. This early, he already informed his constituents that Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista will replace him…not his sons (although they are qualified to become mayor). I really commend Mayor Sonny Belmonte for that. Cheers, Mayor!!!
May 22nd, 2007 at 9:59 am
Pakibasa po uli. Tinira rin ang mga arroyo.
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tony
why are you all zeroeing in on the opposition? the arroyos are also a dynasty, their relatives are running for office all over. so before we can start with the senate lets start with the commander in chief.