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MEDIA could not help but take note of a hiccup in
last Friday’s Makati rally—some of the protesters allegedly
walked out when former presidents Corazon C. Aquino and Joseph E.
Estrada were called to the stage. Still, there is no denying that
the incident bore great political significance.
This column is not in the habit
of lauding Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay. However, it feels compelled
to point out that making Cory and Erap agree to share the same stage
would have been impossible without the organizational savvy and
political acumen of the man whose fiercely loyal constituents fondly
call “Jojo.”
If the hiccup proved anything it
was this: a political leader has emerged who has what it takes to
bring Mrs. Aquino and Estrada together. And that is Binay. By
extension, only Hizzoner has the ability to bring together Erap with
his masa following and Cory with her civil-society constituency. No
other political figure has the stature and the credibility to do so.
For years serious political
differences have driven a wedge between the two ex-presidents.
Cory stood gleaming at the EDSA
Shrine on Jan. 21, 2001 when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was sworn in as
president while Erap was forced to leave Malacañang. Even before
that, Mrs. Aquino was already at the forefront of the Erap-resign
movement in the wake of the jueteng exposé of then-Ilocos Sur Gov.
Luis “Chavit” Singson.
Meanwhile, Estrada regularly
expresses disdain for civil society, with which Mrs. Aquino is
identified, calling them elitista.
Naturally, few Filipinos could
ever imagine Cory and Erap sitting down together in public—and,
more so, engaging in mutual displays of amiability without any hint
of past animosity. Many have tried to claim responsibility for that
feat—but even if Binay has not resorted to the same
credit-grabbing, the public now realizes that it was only he could
have pulled it off.
Is there any other political
leader who so obviously has the affection of the two ex-presidents?
Recall that Binay was an original
“Corista,” a leading stalwart of the Yellow Brigade that whipped
up what was to become the EDSA crowd following the assassination of
former Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. in 1983.
Even during those years of
unrelenting marches and rallies prior to Mrs. Aquino’s rise to the
presidency, the Parliament of the Streets had learned to rely on
Binay for his organizational skills and powers of persuasion,
qualities that proved instrumental in mustering the warm bodies that
filled the protest rallies leading to the first People Power
uprising of 1986.
Just as significantly, Binay is
also a favorite political adviser and comrade-in-arms of Estrada’s.
Erap values the constancy, which appears to be Jojo’s hallmark.
Some may view the Makati mayor as the consummate politico but never
has he been accused of being a political butterfly.
Estrada must be secretly smirking
when he sees the parade of turncoats who now claim to have returned
to his fold after abandoning him during his impeachment trial. These
characters are “sunshine buddies” whose loyalties follow where
the political wind blows.
As far as Erap is concerned, Jojo
is predictable—and reliable. Come hell or high water, the feisty
Makati mayor will be there for his friends.
Recall, too, that the
presidential campaign of Fernando Poe Jr. finally shaped up after
Binay was named FPJ’s campaign manager. The mayor took over from
so-called experts who turned out to be more professorial than
street-fighters, which the organization needed. Binay’s
involvement in the FPJ campaign was reportedly broached by Estrada,
who was then under detention.
Thus, it should surprise no one
that Binay has become the only political leader of note who can
bring Mrs. Aquino and Estrada together. Moreover, political insiders
believe that the Makati mayor also has what it takes to bring in
even allies of the current administration. During these volatile
times, that ability counts for much.
Cory and Erap have their
respective followers and their own political formations. Separate,
those forces have limited potential—but merged they represent a
formidable X-factor in the current as well as future political
equation.
Binay and other original
oppositionists are not competing for the media limelight that the
johnnies-come-lately have been hogging. Still, the pioneers are not
complaining. The Makati mayor is not known to relish involving
himself in partisan circuses. That is what makes him a respected
figure in practically all political circles. People know that his
organizational talents and political skills are what will really
matter in the long run.
Last week’s interfaith rally
was a testament to Binay’s hard work—minus the grandstanding
many other politicos cannot resist. Is this perhaps what good
politics are all about?
Many can do the talking, but
there will always be a need for someone who can do the work on the
ground—and do it well.
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