1. It’s political season in the Philippines. Anecdotes would, to my mind, offer a clear picture of the political landscape here. So let me share some, in the hope that we can have lucid interval in the otherwise insane political realities.
2. The Philippine Congress is bicameral in nature, closely following the Amercan model, owing greatly to the historical fact that Phippines was once an American colony. The Philippine Senate and the House of Representatives were once populated with great statemen and learned men of letters and law. We had the eminent Claro M. Recto, Jose Diokno, Wigberto Tanada, Jovito Salonga, Arturo Tolentino, and others. We used to addresse them as “Honorables” , befitting of their stature. Lately however, comedians, action stars, [and God forbid, a boxer who has not even finished secondary education wants to run also] are now in the Congress. There was this congressman who said in his speech, “I will cementated the road from Cagayan de Oro to Bulua, and vice-versa”. Now tell me, should we call them “Honorables”? . I may have to take bonamine tablet, an anti-vomitting prescription, before I can pronounce the word.
3. My former law office partner was once a Vice-governor of the province, and went on to become a Congressman. I was privy to the inner sanctum of political schemes. In 1998, he ran and won the lone congressional seat of our province. The hardest obstacle in his election was the mayor who was also a gambling lord, and therefore had guns , goons, and gold. No lawyer would dare to accept the assignment during election time in his municipality, but being the rebel and adventurous in the group, I obliged. In his municipality, there were precincts that had zero vote for my partner even if the latter’s relative would swear to have voted. We filed criminal cases against this mayor, and all the lawyers in our law firm were in constant threat. We had to spend for bodyguards for two years. But during the 2004 elections, that mayor and my partner ran under the same political ticket. In politics, strange bedfellows can sleep together.
4. Philippine election is a year-round affair. If you are a congressman, you have to help all the elections in the province, save perhaps for the positions in the churches. There was this election for the Samahang Kabataan, a youth oganization that has a seat in the local legislative council. There are 14 municipalities in our province. It was a 7-7 for the opposing political parties. To break the tie, we had to get the vote of one Samahang Kabataan president. We had an associate in our law office who just passed the bar exam and was still single. We requested him to win the heart of a lady president. Before the election, our associate and the lady were sweethearts. We were assured of the majority vote.
5. Money can buy votes, so do cut-out newspapers. In one of the political conventions, a member who was seeking nomination, was into vote-buying. He cut newspapers to the size and shape of paper bills; on top and bottom of these cut – out papers, he placed real money, inserted these into envelops, and distributed these to the delegates before the votation. As the distribution was made in the convention hall, those who received the enveloped did not verify the content. [There is still honor among the dishonorables] That scheming member won, and the delegates who were hoodwinked, did not complain. They cannot flaunt their greed and ignorance by complaining.
6. I know of a judge who swears he will never run for public office again. Right after he passed the bar exam, he wanted to help his small town. He ran for a seat in the local legislative council. Brimming with idealism and confidence, he predicted his eventual victory. You see, the highest educational qualification among his opponents was a third year college. In that field, no way could a lawyer lose, so he thought. After the polling centers were closed, he went home to take a rest. He asked his mother whether she had voted. The mother, who was already near senility, said yes. Then the son asked whether she voted for him. The mother took from her pocket a piece of paper, and let the son read the contents. The names of the candidates were written but his name was not one of them. He asked his mother, “What are these names mom?” She replied, “Those are names of the candidates I voted because they gave me money.” He lost in that election.
7. I know the family of our vice-mayor in Cagayan de Oro City. The vice-mayor was a school mate in the college of law here. So do her brothers and sisters. Her father was once a mayor in the city. They had a band. All members of the family were good singers and can play any musical instrument. They were that close. The father, who is a lawyer, raised a good family: three lawyers, one doctor, an accountant, and the rest were all successful in their field. The father wanted to run as vice-mayor so as her daughter. Both belong to different political parties. They had a pact that no one would run. But the daughter did run. Feeling betrayed, the father attacked her daughter in the radio programs. And the daughter just answered: “He was a good for nothing father anyway.” When the mother was dying, they even filed cases as to who among the two should have a custody.
