‘Colorful’ poll characters

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

The filing of certificates of candidacy for the 2013 midterm elections has evolved into a talent show, with bets singing, dancing and declaiming their way to offices of the Commission on Elections.

One aspirant for a top position in Baguio said he filed his candidacy earlier because, “The early bird catches the worm,” while scores of his supporters crowded the Comelec grounds to show they have the numbers to go for it.   

Internet reports said at the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila was 63-year-old Arsenio Dimaya of San Pedro, Laguna, who belted out his version of Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now or Never” with gusto. Dimaya wore pink pants and shades. When asked about his platform of government, Dimaya mumbled incomprehensibly. He claimed to have also filed a COC for vice president in 2004.

Reports said forty-one-year-old Leonardo Bula, a welder from Silangan, Samar, staged a declamation of his promises should he win a seat in the Senate.

“If I become a senator, if I am elected to the upper chamber of Congress, among my first bills would aim to quell indolence in our society,” he declaimed. Bula also showed his vocal prowess by singing his own composition to the tune of “Bikining Itim” of Filipino rap artist Blakdyak.

But while many people see them as “nuisance” candidates, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez refused to call them that.

“I avoid calling them nuisance. It is a very harsh word. You are becoming judgmental. Everyone has a chance to defend himself. You make fun of them, you dismiss them while you are seeing them for what, only 15 minutes?” he said

He said if other bets have their own gimmicks, candidates such as those who showed their various talents in filing their COCs should also be respected if they believe it is their way to stand out.

He added that just like other aspirants for elective posts, these individuals would also go through a screening process of the Comelec to determine if they are indeed qualified to join the 2013 race.

For lack of a better word, Jimenez opted to call these aspirants “colorful.”

“Colorful” indeed is the adjective to describe  candidates aspiring as senators, congressmen and local government officials in the May 2013 elections. The business of government and the administration of public affairs in this country are indeed getting more and more “colorful” and sad to say, becoming limited to a few persons. 

We maybe slipping away from a broad based democracy to a narrow based oligarchy from a government “of the people, for the people and by the people” to a government revolving around rich,  famous and powerful personalities and well entrenched political clans. It is seldom that the other “colorful” aspirants from the middle class and the poor make it

People still have the right to choose officials who will run the affairs of government. Sovereignty, it is believed, still resides in them because they still elect their leaders in the executive, and their representatives in the legislative branches of government.

But as it is now turning out during the filing of the certificates of candidacy (COC), their choice especially in the coming elections has been greatly reduced and confined to the few rich families, clans, moneyed class and other persons who have tasted political power, loved it and would not like to give it up because of the economic power they have also acquired.

Framers of our Constitution may have tried to ensure  democratization of political power so that this power will be shared by as many citizens of whatever class or stature as stated in Section 26, Article II, which provides that the “State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service.”

The same section of the Constitution also prohibits political dynasties. But then, this is more the exception than the rule. Our Constitution framers also introduced the multi-party system to replace the two-party system.

Now we have the party-list system where any registered national, regional and sectoral party or organization can be represented in the House of Representatives (Section 5 (1) and (2) Article VI).

To eliminate obstacles to equal access to opportunities for public service, the Constitution likewise limited the terms of office of elective officials. Thus the President only has a single term of six years and shall not be eligible for reelection. On the other hand no Vice President shall serve for more than two successive terms of six years (Section 4, Article VII).

No Senator shall serve for more than two consecutive terms of six years while no member of the House of Representatives shall serve for more than three consecutive terms of three years each term (Sections 4 and 6 Article VI). The same is true with respect to local government officials except barangay officials whose term of office shall be fixed by law (Section 8 Article 10).

The framers of our Charter wanted to give the poor, underprivileged and marginalized people in our society who are deserving, qualified and sincere an equal chance to serve our country.

Unfortunately, exactly the opposite has happened. The multi-party system engendered the politics of personalities rather than politics of principles. Political parties with differing and varied platforms and programs of government designed to attract the electorate depending on which will serve their best interest, have joined forces and coalesced behind politically and financially powerful personalities mainly for purposes of winning in the elections.

The Nationalista Party and Liberal Party, the major political parties fighting each other in many elections of the past have a common slate of candidates representing the incumbent Aquino administration.

Erap, Enrile and Binay three bitter political enemies of the past are now together under a loose, informal and uncredited political organization called UNA fielding their own candidates to oppose the administration slate. Now, both political groups have three common candidates for Senator!

Even P-Noy has a cousin and an aunt as candidates for Senator. Enrile is fielding his own son to succeed him as Senator. Erap who is running for Manila mayor has two sons running for senator. Villar whose term as senator has expired is fielding his wife to succeed him in the Senate.

So is Angara whose son is running for Senator in the P-Noy slate. After the elections our Senate will be composed of the sons and daughters of former senators and brother and sister.

The kind of candidates aspiring as senators, members of the House of Representatives and local government officials in the May 2013 elections clearly shows that the business of government and the administration of public affairs in this country are getting more and more limited to a few persons. Call it “colorful” which leaves a bad taste in the mouth.