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BY SONIA D. DAQUILA
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Saturday, April 8, 2017
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IN THE Philippines, politics is being played among common Filipino celebrations such as the KBL. Kasal, Bunyag and Lubong (wedding, baptism and burial), conducive to patronage and personalistic politics, meaning, the consideration is on the reciprocity of favors given and those received in exchange. Familiarity is based on kilala or the sigurista values system, where we can only trust the ones that we know.
Patronage politics was so obvious in the 70th birthday celebration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. It was the confluence of the past, present, and future of the power that be. The incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte, the past president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (the celebrant), and the aspiring to be Vice President, the son of the unlamented Dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., were all there.
It is a truism that plans, good or bad, are hatched in the confluence of political elites. The scenario is clear. Maybe my hunches are as good as yours. Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (whose brace instantly disappeared when declared innocent by the Supreme Court, who was removed by the President as deputy speaker of Central Luzon when she voted against the death penalty) can possibly be appointed to head the Constitutional Commission to hasten the switch from Presidential to Federal System of government. Bongbong Marcos, if not to replace Leni Robredo as Vice President, may assume the post of the sacked Mike Sueno.
With the possibility of the Legislative Branch of government dismantled, federalism to be in place, Bongbong Marcos to be the Department of Interior and Local Government secretary, barangay captains appointed, what else can we expect with this prelude? In one word, “dictatorship.”
Indeed, we need change, and it is impossible (for the Filipinos who belong to a gentle race, at times gullible because of their inherent God-fearing nature) without a Duterte. The Filipinos need a strong hand, decisive, cruel and audacious. One hundred eleven years ago, this was uttered by Simoun, one of the characters in El Filibusterismo:
“It is necessary to renew the race! Cowardly fathers will only beget slavish children and it is not worthwhile to destroy in order to build again with rotten materials…a paralytic and corrupt people have to die to give way to another new, young, active one, full of energy…let the eternal law be fulfilled, let us help them and since the earth is all the more fertile when fertilized with blood, and the thrones more secure when cemented on crimes and cadaver, let there be no hesitations, no doubt!”
Somehow, Simoun failed, and goodness prevailed. Our national hero, Jose Rizal was right when he said, “Like people, like government, like masters like slaves, the kind of government that we have, is just the reflection of what we are.” (delsocorrodaquila@gmail.com/PN)
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