Politics, Philippine style

Here is a piece by Al S. Mendoza, one of the country's topnotch journalists and literary artists. He was formerly Sports Editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and is now writing a column for The Sunday Punch in Dagupan City and Sports Editor of the newest broadsheet The Philippine Chronicle. We at The Midweek Herald do agree with him that in the Philippines, elections is without education. Read:

The lure of Lomibao

By Al S. Mendoza

OUR LOVE affair with elections is as old as your town cemetery. That’s why when Marcos killed elections with his martial law in 1972, the people hated him.

They didn’t show it, but deep within their hearts, they mourned the death of the holding of elections. It was as if a member of their family had died.
When Marcos was ousted by People Power in 1986, happy days are here again.

The restoration of elections was greeted with fiesta-like atmosphere, as though a long-lost son had finally come home.

The barber shops are the best gauge. Linger around there and you will readily notice customer and kibitzer alike in animated talks about election possibilities in most times of the day.

Those present there playing dama, the Pinoy version of chess, are easily lured to joining any fray regarding election discussions.

Debates on elections, on who could be the top contenders, or who would be the possible candidates, can last forever.

Once it’s begun, the debate will go on and on and on till the last customer is serviced.

For example, here in Pangasinan, several names had been floated around already to aspire for the seat to be vacated by the graduating Gov. Agbayani.

The latest is Art Lomibao, the former national police chief.

The Mangaldan-born Lomibao, just recently appointed electrification boss, is now being considered defense secretary to replace Avelino Cruz, whose resignation shook the already fragile Arroyo administration.

That’s good news to Lomibao’s gubernatorial foes.

Lomibao becoming DND chief means one man down to Lomibao’s political rivals.

Lomibao would be a formidable aspirant if he’d truly run for governor. His network, erected when he was police boss, might spell the difference should he decide to toss his hat into the political arena.

Notice that Lomibao has been going around the province, testing the waters so to speak. He has anchored his “feeling the pulse” sorties on giving free telephone calls to barangay residents who have relatives abroad.

In this country, politics is doling out freebies.

You don’t give, you don’t receive.

I know of one candidate for mayor in 2004, who was miles ahead at the start, only to lose steam when he held back on expenses in the homestretch. He lost badly.

Said one voter I had talked to, “We were for him, until he held his miting de avance in our barangay. All he distributed to the folk after his speech were candies and that disappointed us a lot. Because his rival gave us sandwiches and tetrapak juice during his own miting de avance, we switched to him.”

If you think that’s funny, think again.

Among political animals, what they receive profoundly matters.

In this country, election is without education.

Only donation.