By Harvey S. Keh
THE growing euphoria about the Presidential bid of Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has been attributed mainly to him being the only son of the martyred former Senator Ninoy Aquino and the well-loved former President Cory Aquino. The Filipino people who have grown tired of the rampant graft and corruption practices perpetuated by leaders of this present administration are now looking for a leader who has integrity, right moral values and can inspire Filipinos to once again dream and work for a better future. They saw all of those qualities in Ninoy and Cory, naturally many of them now see it in their heir apparent, Noynoy.
Despite this, one cannot also say that Noynoy hasn’t earned his own stripes in the realm of politics and governance having been a well-performing Congressman who represented Tarlac for nine years and now being a member of the Senate for the past two years. Many question his legislative record but a brief check on the kinds of laws he has authored or helped craft would indicate that his main focus has been on preserving the integrity of democratic institutions and the promotion of transparency and social accountability in our government institutions. These are areas where the present government has found to be lacking especially when it comes to social accountability wherein not one person involved in the Fertilizer Scam, Hello Garci, Swine Scam and the NBN-ZTE Broadband deal has actually been tried and put to jail.
Another second generation political aspirant that looks very promising is current Bukidnon Rep. TG Guingona, who recently left the Nacionalista Party of Senator Manny Villar in favor of being drafted by the Liberal Party-led People’s Coalition as the official Kaya Natin Movement-backed Senatorial candidate in the coalition. TG is the son of known nationalist and former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Jr., who is also known to have been a staunch ally of former President Aquino. TG was also a former classmate of Noynoy during their early days at the Ateneo de Manila University. TG’s main advocacy is the promotion of greater transparency in the use of the National Budget. He has been going around the country to educate people with regard to how the more than a trillion peso budget is used and misused by the present administration. Aside from this, he continues to work with Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon in promoting the passage of a Disaster Mitigation and Management Law that would help our country prepare for future calamities as we have seen in Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.
On the local government front, Joy Belmonte-Alimurung, the only daughter of current Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte will be running for Vice-Mayor. After graduating from Ateneo de Manila University, Joy decided to join the Jesuit Volunteer Philippines (JVP) and was assigned to live in a rural village in Bukidnon for a year to teach children coming from indigenous communities. Moreover, she has continued to serve as President of the Quezon City Ladies Foundation which continues to develop cultural programs and provide livelihood opportunities to women who live in depressed areas. Since last year, she has also consistently provided leadership and social entrepreneurship training to youth leaders coming from different baranggays in Quezon City. Apart from these, she realizes that helping manage one of the largest cities in the country is no walk in the park thus she has made it a priority to prepare for the position by studying Urban Planning and Development at the University of the Philippines (UP).
These three scions of highly-accomplished political leaders in our country will be hard-pressed to fill the big shoes that have been left behind by their parents. Yet, just by looking at their past track records of maintaining integrity in their effective delivery of public service, we can all feel confident that they will not only make their parents proud but more importantly, they will make each of us feel proud to be called a Filipino.
Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com
Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo School of Government.
10 Feedbacks on "Political Scions and Heir Apparents in 2010"
Zombie
kasi ganito talaga sa Pilipinas, parang Pelikula. Pag ung Parents maganda ang katangian, maganda rin ang tingin sa anak. Parang pelikula. Hindi rin nagsasawa ang mg Pilipino sa POLITICAL DYNASTY. Sa lahat ng panig ng bansa, makikita yan. Pero hindi pinapansin ng mga Pilipino. MANHID ei. Kung anak ka lang ng mahirap tapos basugalero, kahit maganda ang iyong katangian at umasinso ka, iboboto ka ba? Sympre Hindi, kasi may crabmentality ang mga Pilipino. Kaya nga maliit ang tingin sa atin ng ibang bansa dahil dyan. Gising mga Pilipino sayang ang Pinaglaban ng ating mga bayani.
MAGALIT NA KAYONG KUNG MAGALIT PERO SA MURA KUNG EDAD, MULAT AKO SA KATUTUTAHAN, HINDI AKO BULAG.
lady M
Don’t Vote Politicians. Choose Non-politician Filipino Leaders
Halos lahat na mga kandidato ngayon, alam na nating lahat ang kanilang mga apilyedo, at ang mga anak ng mga politicians na ito na tumatakbo ngayon, AY HUWAG nating bobotohan. Why? Tingnan na lang natin ang mga nagawa ng mga ito (track record) sampu ng mga nagawa ng kanilang mga tatay o nanay na naging lider na ng ating bansa. Yumaman ba ang bansa natin dahil sa kanila? Nagkaroon ba ng peace and order? Additional employment opportunities? Welfare? Medical benefits? New hospitals? Sumikat ba ang bansa natin dahil sa kanila? HINDI! Halos lahat silang mga tumatakbo ngayon ay INEFFECTIVE leaders sampu ng kanilang mga tatay or nanay na mga poliko rin! Bumaon ng bumaon ang bansa sa putik sa termino ng mga politikong ito. After ng term ng dating Pres. Magsaysay, naging tuloy-tuloy na ang spiral bulusok ng bansa at hindi na ito naka ahon. Ngayon pa lang, malayo pa sa tamang kampanya sa February 2010, ay naglabasan na ng mga TV at radio ads ang mga politikong ito- simbulo ng pandaraya at corruption - para makauna sa kanilang mga kalaban. Kaya alam na kaagad natin kung sino ang mga corrupt at mandarayang politiko sa paglabas ng kanilang mga ads ngayon. HUWAG nating botohan ang mga buwayang ito!
Piliin natin ang hindi politiko o galing sa mga pamilyang politiko ang ating susunod na mga lider. Baka isa lamang siyang businessman, o pari, o karaniwang sundalo na may TUNAY na mithiin para sa mga tao. Huwag ang SIKAT, ang POGI, o ang nagpapanggap na mahirap. Kung gusto nating makaahon sa kahirapan, please lang, piliin natin ang tama. Para meron tayong masasandalang maypagmamahal sa pangkaraniwang mamamayan.
Hindi pa talaga hinog ang Pilipino sa demokrasya. Simulang nating baguhin at ayusin ang ating bansa sa tamang pagpili ng atin susunod na namumuno. Itaga natin sa bato, aahon tayo ng maayos. Huwag nating iboto ang mga talagang politiko dahil wala sa kanila ang pag-asa ng bansa…para wala tayong pagsisisihan sa huli.
eorlando
I think your column is an example why the Philippines just could not reach its true potential - economically, politically, etc. Could you not find any other personalities that are “heir apparents” other than those you’ve seen in your campus. The Philippines have been ruled by presidents trained by elite schools - in turn they surround themselves with people that are also trained by the same university/college. Same goes with the military - PMA. If you base on history, you should not be so proud of your products/graduates. They have made a mess of Philippines. If I were to vote, I would vote for candidates that did not graduate from Ateneo, UP, or Sto. Tomas.
jtc
Can you identify what major projects TG Guingona have done in his district in Bukidnon. Most of his time is spent only in Manila if not in his hometown.
Ala Bernas
Why does it awalys happen that voters are limited to selecting from these political pedigrees. Sure, they, too have qualifications apart from their being scions. But surely, too, there are leaders more competent than they are. It’s just that the system does not offer fair representation to all. It’s always money and dynasty that win after all.
dan
If Senator Villar is not proud of his parents name for being so proud of himself as his own man then that is his problem. We can’t really say that we are a made by ourselves alone but by the upbringing of our parents, the values they possess and the good things they have taught us. Noynoy has all the right to use the name, if he swears to live by the values of his parents, then good for us. We just wish that he remains steadfast to his wish for the Philippines which most Filipinos share.
Gener Sansaet
“Yet, just by looking at their past track records of maintaining integrity in their effective delivery of public service, we can all feel confident that they will not only make their parents proud but more importantly, they will make each of us feel proud to be called a Filipino.”
rubbish! this article once again conveniently disregards the continued suffering of the people of the first district of tarlac for whom sen. aquino rendered nine years of less than presidential (sub-standard) representation! this article is unsurprising considering its demonstrative of a typical Harvey Keh writing as a propagandist, biased and less than scholarly.
gener c. sansaet
ateneo de manila school of law ‘99
Reynaldo S. Orbon
I agree with you Harvey. Gaya ng kasabihan - “Kung ano ang puno siyang bunga”!!!Noynoy Aquino, TG Guinguna and Joy Belmonte-Alimurung are the youths that our great national hero Dr. Jose Rizal had called as the hope of our motherland.
To all of them and the other nameless youths who are silently but deligently doing their share in helping our country in any way they can, WE SAY - MABUHAY!!!!
nelh
As par as my observation they are all political dynasties.
During Marcos time they are against Marcos families and after Edsa they got hold on thier position for so long now.
Please see the list of this families:
1. Binay family at Makati, including their chilldren - on power since 1986 and counting
2. Daza in Northern Samar and his son - since 1986 and counting
3. Cayetano’s including their wives
4. Biazon, Ginguna and families
5. Other political parties and Others more to follow.
Madaling yumaman sa politics kumpara sa pagtrabaho - kaya nga nagpapatayan sila from Kabataang barangay chairman up to the President.
Peter
…But isn’t it one of the most common practice in Philippine politics that has been going on for many years called political dynasty? And many Pilipinos have seen the ill effects of these types of governance. Sponsoring bills and keeping a perfect attendance in the Batasan is not enough to boost your resume for the highest seat in government! I would look deeper in their achievements and how good a doer these candidates are.
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