Banish the bashing binge

published 2 March 2007

Nakakasawa (sickening). And it’s only two weeks into the campaign.

Lately, finding truly newsworthy stories to write about and react to in the opinion page has become a difficult exercise. While there are lots of articles pouring into the newsroom, there is hardly anything new in any of them. Most of the time, they’re just another description of the circus that is going on.

The days and weeks leading to May 14 feel like an interim period where governance is put on hold. Everything that happens is temporary—even ethereal—because the only thing that matters now is Getting Elected.

Prior to the deadline for filing of certificates of candidacy for senator, everyone was in a speculative mood. As we know, the multi-party system gives politicians leeway to bolt their existing parties in the event of a falling out with their co-members, or for whatever reasons their personal objectives are not met. Thus, before Feb. 12, the public witnessed considerable fluidity in terms of party affiliations and loyalties.

And we saw more. We were able to confirm how desperate or gullible some could be. We saw politicians conveniently joining forces with the very people they once rebuked. We saw people from other fields (think boxers and movie actors) who seemed ready to give up their stellar careers to “serve the people.” Didn’t you also grab the remote and switch channels while seeing them utter vague generalities on TV, because it was you who was cringing at how pathetic they sounded?

Now, the campaign season has started. And mudslinging seems to be the order of the day.

For example, Alan Peter Cayetano cries harassment now that there is another Cayetano—not in any way related to him— in the running for the Senate. The justice secretary has also brought up the subject of his citizenship. But didn’t Cayetano, by his own handiwork, demolish his own credibility by hurling accusations at some members of the First Family without proof or basis? We would have gladly taken him seriously, if only he had evidence—not hints or probable leads—to back his claims. We sure hope that if and when he gets to sit beside his sister in the Senate, he would know that talking is not synonymous to going to work.

Also, we find that the word “balimbing” has not necessarily gone out of style.

It is now being used to refer to re-electionist Senator Manny Villar after being seen campaigning with the Genuine Opposition slate even as he has declared himself an independent. Similarly, incongruity with either camp has forced Senator Francis Pangilinan to hit the campaign trail on his own and “suffer” being dropped (as if he was raring to be included in the first place!) from the opposition slate. Clearly, these two re-electionists inspire mixed emotions in different groups of people.

But why not go down to the basics? If they’re really so hot—so much that both camps are tripping over themselves wooing them—capitalizing on their track record in the immediately preceding Congress would be a good move. Let the people know how many and what bills and resolutions they filed. How they conducted themselves in Senate proceedings. How they voted in landmark pieces of legislation. After all, that is the precise description of the office they’re seeking again.

In the meantime, Rez Cortez has taken a break from his character roles in show business and has started circulating an audio disc titled ASO that seeks to campaign against three staunch Joseph Estrada/ Fernando Poe Jr. supporters who have since found themselves aligned with the administration. In fact, Senator Edgardo Angara is contemplating legal action against Cortez and his group even as Angara, Sotto and Oreta were never explicitly mentioned in the jingle.

***

It’s colorful and noisy, but it gets boring after a while. That’s Philippine politics for you. What else is new? The people are disgusted, but they sigh and concede that elections have always been like this. Most don’t even bother to speak up because all efforts are bound to be futile, anyway.

Note that I said most, not all. Fortunately, there are still those who are willing to listen to what both sides have to offer in terms of tangible legislative agenda and priority programs.

And before those who abhor a defeatist attitude as much as they do personality politics, candidates must speak. And speak not with crap. Now bring on the debates.

Foremost, candidates and strategists must stop attributing political color to every event or non-event in government. Why not react to a positive development by acknowledging it, offering a better alternative and challenging the other side to come up with yet a better measure? In this manner, the public benefits. What ensues is constructive and progressive competition, not regressive and degenerative lambasting. That can only make winners out of us all.

Case in point: The economy. The opposition has dismissed recent economic gains as mere propaganda on the part of the administration. Why not show its basis for coming up with such a statement? It would be nice to see both camps on stage. Let’s see them slug it out, get the spreadsheets ready and push their points in terms of percentages, peso values, and absolute amounts. Most importantly, they must know how to make unintelligible economic concepts understood—and felt—by the ordinary Filipino.

Even the recent reduction of power prices has not been spared. Nobody’s complaining, though, and, really, would we have it any other way? This is one area where I don’t give a damn about politics so long as the reduction in power rates translates to freeing up more funds in my household budget. I would be very happy as a citizen, because this is a welcome development in these tough times. I would say that, at least in this aspect, my government, which collects a sizeable portion of my salary in taxes, is doing its job. So badmouth each other all you want, but I will be smiling because I will be able to afford a Jolly Meal for the kids on my way back from the Bayad Center, thank you very much.

Of course, that’s dramatization, in the same way some quarters are dramatizing the results of a recent survey conducted by the Makati Business Club.

It’s a turnaround, they say, because the elite group has been known to call for the resignation of the President a-year-and-a-half ago. The survey says there is a significant increase in the level of business confidence nowadays, in recognition of the economic reforms introduced by the administration. But does it follow that senatorial candidates from Team Unity will dominate the polls? Not automatically. Remember that those who were surveyed are intelligent, rational business decision- makers who do mean—well, business. They will probably still be there long after this set of politicians has gone.

The truth is that experience has made us aware of the dangers of our collective penchant for fanfare. Now at least we’re booing Manny Pacquiao—when he’s on stage daydreaming of a political career.

The electorate has been grossly underestimated for ages. It’s time we up the maturity level of our democracy. The people may be needy, yes, but they can see beyond their hunger. They can still think.

There is clamor for substance, and it is getting louder. Sometimes, we get so frustrated that we delight in peeking into the private lives of celebrities. But that’s just a breather. We’re actually thinking how we can get back at our politicians for being so beyond us, so out of our reach, after they’ve gotten what they wanted.