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Here you go—the official candidates for senator
from 13 lucky parties: From old Marcos party Kilusang Bagong Lipunan
(KBL), we have Joselito Cayetano, Melchor Chavez, Antonio Estrella,
Oli-ver Lozano, Eduardo Orpilla, Ruben Enciso and Victor Wood. I
think Lozano is the one who filed the impeachment complaints against
PGMA. Wood is somebody I heard about from my dad. From the
Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) of Danding, there are four:
Francis Joseph Escudero, Loren Le-garda, Vicente Sotto III and
Tessie Oreta. At least these four names are familiar.
The Partido ng Demokra-tikong
Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), a party which invokes a
nostalgic feel for people-power glory, is fielding Aquilino Pimentel
III, the son of the incumbent Senator and namesake. His claim to
fame is having topped the bar. Aksyon Demokratiko’s Sonia Roco is
touted to be at least of an equal intellectual calibre to that of
her late husband, Raul. Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino’s lone
candidate is Joker Arroyo, allied with the administration. So is
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino’s Edgardo Angara.
A virtual unknown from the South
is Jamalul Kiram III of the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng
Pilipinas. More intelligible is Philippine Green Republican Party
with Felix Cantal. Green is for the environment hopefully.
By far, the party with the most
number of candidates (7) is the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim
Democrats. They are: Michael Defensor (former presidential
spokesman), Vicente Magsaysay (a governor), Cesar Montano (the
actor), Prospero Pichay Jr. (the congressman), Ralph Recto (reelectionist),
Luis Singson (Chavit, who else?) and Juan Miguel Zubiri (also a
congressman).
Diametrically opposed is the
United Opposition with Panfilo Lacson, John Henry Osmeña
(ex-senator) and Antonio Trillanes IV (of Oakwood Mutiny fame or
notoriety). Also diametrically opposed is the Liberal Party
officially with Benigno Aquino III (son of our beloved Ninoy and
brother-in-law of James Yap) and Francis Pangilinan. Kiko is running
as an independent regardless of his party affiliation as of this
writing. Nacionalista Party (NP) also has a Cayetano, Alan Peter,
sparring partner of the First Gentleman, and Senate President Manuel
Villar Jr.
Ang Kapatiran Party, the
alternative force, has three personalities: Martin Bau-tista, Zosimo
Paredes (of the VFA controversy) and Adrian Sison. There are three
official independents: Anna Domini-que Coseteng, Richard Go-mez (the
actor) and Gregorio Honasan.
At this point, with my vaunted
lawyerly training in the vast comprehension of facts and issues, I
am dazed and confused, and breathless, too. I try to make sense of
the list of names and parties and can only come up with a few
asymmetrical classifications based on impressions.
There are six reelectionists,
also six who want to be called senators again, three actors, two
candidates married to actresses, two soldiers turned politician, one
cop turned politician, one obligatory Muslim candidate, eight
candidates and two parties I have never heard of. There are a
hundred other ways to group them and the other more obvious
relations I omit.
One set that needs to be
assembled is the one that truly has the interest of the people. But
how? If you and I cannot tell the difference between the
administration and opposition, of competing visions for a strong and
free republic, what more of the teeming masses? It is pesky that our
form of democracy rises and falls with popularity and the resources
to project the images and sound bytes. It is a curse that the only
motive for the opposition to gain power is to unseat the
administration and the only intent of the administration is to stay
in power and to remove its enemies. If only for this, I am for the
stability and continuance of the present administration instead of
an endless cycle of convulsions.
These days we do not even hear of
an attempt to present a coherent and viable platform. Everything is
muddled and the political dialogue is all noise. It is every party,
nay, every man, for himself. Win first and then take care of the
business of governance later is the rule. How can we run a country
with this kind of attitude? For well-meaning candidates, why bother
with a well-thought out program of action when what is most
important is the election plan of action?
Regardless, whoever wins in May
needs to win fair and square.
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