“I prefer a government run like hell
by Filipinos to government run like
heaven by Americans.”
Manuel L. Quezon
Indeed, since the granting of independence in 1946, Philippines has been run like hell by Filipinos.
In fairness, Quezon made that appeal to convince the United States that it was high time for the Filipinos to govern the country without the shadow of the Americans. He was not advocating for bad government, he was rooting for nationalism. He never imagined that the privileged few would enjoy the spoils of freedom and the ordinary citizens the bondage of poverty. That the rich ever become richer and the poor ever become poorer. That the country will ever be a perpetual legacy to the Quezons, Roxases, Magsaysays, Osmenas, Marcoses, Aquinos, Estradas, Macapagals and other fortunate new elites yet to come.
The Philippines has since been a witness to her own degradation and saw different presidents with different backgrounds incompetently run the government. There were lawyers, a housewife, a general, an actor and an economist. All failed to deliver. Their campaign promises were mere election polemics and vanished the moment they took their oath of office. From the ruins of the war in 1940 to an economic miracle in the 1950s to the 1960s, the Philippines has been an economic laggard and a basket case of Asia. The Philippines was once a centre for research and excellence in Asia and a major exporter of natural products. Asian scholars came to the Philippines to study agriculture and rice production to increase their countries’ harvest and productivity. Theirs have since become exporters of rice and the Philippines an importer. In diplomacy, Gen. Carlos P. Romulo graced the halls of the United Nations and no Filipino ever rose to the UN podium again.
What went wrong?
A theory has been raised that Filipinos always prefer the American way than being Filipinos. As US-trained technocrats, leaders apply concepts that are not conducive to their culture. Political leaders acted like US Democrats and Republicans and debated like Abraham Lincoln. They embraced democracy but tolerated the existence of political warlords who arrogantly displayed their guns, goons and gold. Even the principle of gerrymandering was imported and saw the unnecessary division of provinces, towns and cities to accommodate relatives and strengthen bailiwicks and fiefdoms. The Philippines is a showcase of a country where local governments are run by one family and for decades. While Filipino is one of the official languages, English is the official language in government, business and education. There’s a lot of Perry Mason in courts and Obama in government. The good thing is the Philippines has its own Miriam Defensor Santiago. A lot of Ronald Reagans are still a sight to see in the halls of congress. The country has had Joseph Estrada and if fate should be a curse, three more would become presidents. Jingggoy Estrada has his eyes in Malacanang in 2022 and Bong Revilla in 2028. Lito Lapid is still a potential occupant if he could dispel his dismal performance in the Corona impeachment trial and start making Leon Guerrero movies to persuade the voters that he has the powers other than kamao and pistol to eradicate all shenanigans and throw the bad guys to Mt. Pinatubo.
An emerging political elite is again on the rise. And that is Jejomar “Jojo” Binay, the current vice president of the Philippines.
Binay started his political career in 1986 as the officer-.in-charge of Makati appointed by Cory Aquino when she assumed the presidency after Marcos the dictator fled to Hawaii. He rose to recognition as a human rights lawyer and ended up as the longest serving mayor of Makati. He ruled Makati for more than twenty years and he was succeeded by his wife and son. While that is a classic example of a political dynasty long questioned by political activists and human rights lawyers during the Marcos regime, the residents of Makati never raised a howl of protest. Why, they have been a recipient of free medical services, education and housing. Why, Binay has been trumpeted as one of their kind who succeeded through sheer hard work and brilliance. Why, MABINI (Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism Inc.) lawyers who fought the Marcos dictatorship are behind him and even the loquacious former Aquino spokesman and senator Rene Saguisag has never raised an eyebrow. MABINI lawyers were against the excesses of democracy.
While 2016 is four years away, Binay is now in the works consolidating and solidifying his political clout through the launching of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), a coalition of Binay’s Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) and Estrada’s Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), for the 2013 midterm senatorial elections. Binay will be going against Mar Roxas for the presidency in 2016. Having trounced Roxas in the last election for the vice presidency, opposition parties are rallying behind Binay and see in him the next David.
The acronym UNA is a Filipino term for first. Binay is capitalizing on the masa mentality of the Filipinos and on the notion that he is the very first real Filipino poor to become the president of the republic and the first to prioritize the interests and plight of the poor. Malacanang will be a presidency of the poor. Now a multi-millionaire and a political dynast, Binay should spin his way and justify his manna from heaven as rewards of a good leader like Roman generals gifted with gold for their military feats.
A government run like hell by Filipinos, anyone?