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After the May 14 election, we should resume
discussions about effecting changes in our Constitution. But I am
not referring to what the Sigaw ng Bayan has been proposing: a shift
to the parliamentary-unicameral system of government. I am referring
to the urgency of putting in our fundamental law in black and white
a provision that would expressly prohibit political dynasties in our
country.
According to former Commission on
Elections chairman Christian Monsod, there is no way that members of
Congress who will be elected in the May election would enact a law
that would put flesh into the constitutional provision on political
dynasties. The only way to solve this dilemma, Monsod said, is to
amend the constitutional provision and prohibit in no uncertain
terms political dynasties, without the need for an enabling law.
Article 2, Section 26 of the 1987
Constitution says that “the State shall guarantee equal access to
opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties
as may be defined by law.”
Since there is no law that
defines the constitutional prohibition, the number of
relatives—husbands, wives, sons, daughters, in-laws—running for
public office, in the national and local levels, has now reached an
epidemic proportion.
With due respect, we cannot
understand the logic of Senate Minority Leader Nene Pimentel when he
said in his radio commercial that his son, Koko, deserves to be in
the Senate, because the latter is a bar topnotcher and a “chip of
the old block.” Is that enough reason that the two of them should
be in the Senate at the same time? Why can’t he wait for his
retirement as a senator so that his son can run and follow his
footsteps?
But in fairness to the Pimentels,
there are other more scandalous, if not repulsive situations, in the
local level.
For example, could you believe
that Pimentel’s former protégé and now his arch political enemy
in Cagayan de Oro, outgoing Mayor Vicente Emano, is running for
vice-mayor? Why is he running for a lower position? Some local
observers are saying that if he and his teammate as mayor win, Emano
would reassume his mayoralty post in no time at all. If this
happens, isn’t this an ingenious way of circumventing the
three-term limit law?
And who can beat Davao City Mayor
Rodrigo Duterte, who has fielded his own daughter, a lawyer, as his
running mate in his reelection bid?
But the case of Basilan is the
real shocker. Outgoing Basilan Gov. Wahab Akbar had his three wives
run for office: one for the post of governor, which he is going to
vacate after serving three terms, and the two others for mayor in
the capital town of Lamitan and another municipality.
In other areas, it is purely a
family affair, with members taking turns in running for the various
elective posts. We have the Josons of Nueva Ecija, the Ortegas of La
Union, the Dimaporos of Lanao del Sur, the Remullas of Cavite, the
Pinol brothers of North Cotabato, the Barbers of Surigao del Norte,
the Romualdos of Camiguin, the Espinas of Biliran and many other
families who believe that they have the divine right to rule their
respective areas blocking others from running and being elected
simply because they are the children of lesser gods.
Ray of hope?
But there is still hope in this
country. Miracles can still happen. In 2004 a miracle happened in
Isabela. In an unexpected turn of events, polio victim and
antijueteng crusader Grace Padacá won against then-incumbent Gov.
Faustino Dy Jr. of the formidable Dy dynasty in Isabela. It was the
biggest upset in the country’s political history.
Padacá is running for reelection
but the Dys are raring for a comeback. Can Padacá survive the Dy
juggernaut and win again?
A parallel and equally
interesting case is the candidacy of Fr. Eddie Panlilio for governor
of Pampanga. He is running against two of Pampanga’s
well-entrenched politicians, incumbent Gov. Mark Lapid and board
member Lilia Pineda; the former being charged with alleged
irregularities in the collection of lahar quarrying fees while the
latter is the wife of alleged Central Luzon jueteng lord Rodolfo
“Bong” Pineda.
Can Father Panlilio, like Padacá,
also pull a miracle in Pampanga? If he can, then there is still hope
in this country.
malinaolito@yahoo.com
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