By Maria Criselda D.C. Tan
In just a few months from now, Philippines’ inconsistent fate will then change as another hand holds on to the steering wheel. As the battle for Presidential throne turned out to be a popularity contest, will this give us Filipinos the control or are we going to be left at the backseat?
2010 Elections have banged every minds of old and first time voters. From the repetitious political advertisements to the bashing taglines of politicians, electors’ minds are now clouded with who to vote and why they need to vote.
Christmas Carols on November
A year before the elections, it is a common scene that politicians would knock on household TV sets and air on their political campaigns. According to Section 80 of the Omnibus Election Law, aspiring presidential candidates engaging in political campaigns outside the campaign period are considered unlawful. Nevertheless, in an article published last December 5 in Inquirer.net, Commission on Election (COMELEC) chairman Jose Melo stated, “Mahirap kontrolin yan (It is difficult to control that), they can find ways to go [around] the law.”
Campaign periods, as stated in the election code, is 90 days before the Election Day which clearly states that politicians who have filed their candidacies are not allowed to be engaged in any political campaign outside the campaign period. In this event, the official campaign period will start on February 9. However, COMELEC has seen no laws violated by politicians airing their own info ads, and their decision is said to be based on the constitution.
While there are many laws conflicting and confusing citizens on whether politicians violate the law or not, COMELEC Commissioner Rene Sarmiento cleared in the same article by quoting Section 13 of Republic Act 9369, also known as the Poll Automation Law, that states “Any person who files his certificate of candidacy within this period specified by COMELEC shall only be considered as a candidate at the start of the campaign period for which he filed his certificate of candidacy; provided, that, unlawful acts or omissions applicable to a candidate shall effect only upon that start of the aforesaid campaign period.” To cut the story short, Sarmiento stated that even if politicians have filed their Certificate of Candiday (COC), they are only recognized as candidates at the beginning of the campaign period.
“Legally speaking this is not premature campaign and the COMELEC just made the decision based on the spirit of the law. There is no crime if there is no law punishing it,” Political Science professor Reynold Agnes cleared.
While politicians as if serenading voters do not mind airing their ads frequently, some of the latter seemed to be annoyed. “Takot matalo, talagang gustong manalo. Talagang gustong-gusto ang posisyon. Makikita naman yung kung gusto talagang maglingkod (They’re scared to lose, they really wanted to win. They really wanted to be in position. You can see it if they really want to serve),” Jaylyne M. Vallar, a freshmen BS Hotel and Restaurant Management student claimed when asked about her opinion.
On the other hand, some viewed this strategy as usual and is not a violation. “Di kasi maiiwasan yun. Ang sabi lang naman sa batas bawal yung paraphernalia eh yung sa kanila kasi parang paalala lang, wala pa namang sinasabing posisyon, (It’s inevitable. The law only states that they can’t use paraphernalia and the ones they use are just like reminders, no labels of whatever position),”BS in Architecture student, Rudy Ancheta, pointed out.
Along with political advertisements, politicians would use propaganda strategies that would not only encourage voters to vote for them, but also to manipulate their voting behaviors. It has been a political tradition that politicians would use celebrities to endorse them and voters see this as a waste of funds. “Mas magastos. Sayang kasi. Sana yung binabayad nila pinangtutulong na lang nila. Mayaman na ‘yun eh [celebrities], yun pa yung binabayaran nila, (It’s luxurious. It’s a waste. They should have spent those payments to a good use. Celebrities are rich people and yet they are still paid),” Irene Ferrer, third year BS in Architecture student believed.
Testimonials of these celebrities endorsing such politicians are powerful enough to lead the mass into a contagious way of decision-making.
Saddest Story
Philippine politics spurted out after the country became a republic in 1898. Since then, our politics has been running the same old story over and over again.
“The candidates are banking on popularity and so I believe the authority of the next president will be legitimated by popularity. That’s usually the election in the Philippines, popularity contest. Nothing is new. The same practice and the prevalent characteristic of Philippine politics is the stiff in the upper house and lower house of congress, even the executive branch of the government are hereditary. Through hereditary succession, pinamamana na lang nila (passed upon),” Agnes expressed.
After years of being a republican, government positions are being occupied and dominated by political families or elites. These clans seem to transfer government seats from one generation to another. If we look at it, the current president is the daughter of a former president and there is a big possibility that the next president will also be from a clan that has long been penetrating the political industry.
The aspect of relationships between politicians in one clan aspiring to inherit positions in the government banks on popularity. Popularity is strengthened by the trust and fanaticism that are acquired by the politicians from their publics through manipulation of behaviors and appealing to the public’s emotions.
Nevertheless, Philippine politics is not just about politicians running the system; it is also about the role of the people. “The Filipino electorates legitimize the system. When we say the system is not good, this is the system legitimated by the people. In a democratic government, the power stays in the people and if you have this kind of government officials – as vested interest government officials, corrupts – it’s because they are voted upon by the people,” Agnes stated.
Our political culture is marked by the events that are taking over now. Voters continue to look on celebrities that uplift the popularity of the politicians and not on what platforms they offer. It may be sad to say, but the appointment of supposed-to-be public servants is not platform-based.
With Leader Personality
Infomercials have occupied commercial airing times from TV networks and politicians don’t mind spending thousands for a mere piece of publicity. Media practitioners working on to shape politician’s image have ventured on producing concepts for political advertisements.
“I believe the 2010 political campaigns will be very tough not only for the candidates themselves but also for all the public relations and media communicators behind them. For the national positions, especially the presidential and vice presidential elections, the challenge for communications strategists, given the huge number of candidates, is to be able to make their candidates rise from the message clutter,” Public Relations professor Edwin Galvez stated.
Many students who are also first time voters have expressed their criteria on choosing their presidential bets. “Syempre perfect. Matalino, mabait, may awa sa tao at hindi nangungurakot katulad ni Arroyo. Syempre may takot din sa Diyos, (Of course, perfect. Intelligent, good, pities people and are not corrupt like Arroyo. Also, God-fearing),” third year BSC Management student, Kristine Jewel S. Dollente, said.
Even as members of the youth community who won’t be able to vote yet expressed their sole political views. “It’s hard to decide kasi parang ang nangyayari ang daming political ads na lumalabas. Minsan parang ang hirap na rin i-identify kung sino yung totoo. I just hope na yung next president natin will be responsible enough compared to the previous corrupt administrations. Intelligence-wise, marami na namang pwede, all we have to know is their pledge of loyalty and honesty sating mga Pilipino,” claimed by a second year AB Psychology student who requested for anonymity.
“The elections, as we all consider it to be, is a battle for the votes of the youth and students, which make up 70 percent of the electorate. Definitely, those who are able to harness the media─ online or offline, below or above the line─that our youth are exposed to and use, will have an advantage. But still the kind of message that communicators put into them should be able to “inspire” the youth to vote for their candidates,” Galvez added.
As of press time, COMELEC has listed 99 presidential candidates at the end of the filing period. This gives voters a wide variety of who to support and vote. In a random interview done by the FEU Advocate inside the campus premises, students were asked on who they wanted to vote and why they would vote for them.
“Si Gibo (Gilbert Teodoro). Matapang saka hindi siya naninira ng kapwa pulitiko niya. Dumidiskarte siya ng sarili niya (He’s brave and he doesn’t step on his fellow politicians. He makes his own ways),” Ancheta proclaimed.
Dollente goes for Noynoy Aquino, “Feeling ko alam na niya yung dapat niyang gawin. Kasi yung family niya, yung mama niya President tapos yung papa niya Senator. Tapos both parties naging mabuting leaders ng bansa. Hindi na siguro mahirap sa kanya na maging good leader (I feel that he knows what he needs to do. Because of his family, his mother was a president and his father was a senator. Both parties have been a good leader of the country. It may not be difficult for him to be a good leader)”.
Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, Jr. are two of the leading candidates for Presidency that most FEU students vie for. Both were from the clan of the Cojuangcos which have been related with political agendas for many generations.
Other dominant candidates buying for the position are renowned officials such as Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar, Jr., Former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Jesus Is Lord (JIL) and Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon to name a few.
Businessman and politician Sen. Villar has been elected in the Senate since 2001 and was re-elected last 2006. He is the only billionaire among all Philippine senators. His famous political line, “Palibhasa pinanganak silang mayaman (For they were born rich)” has gained hearts of most masses.
Estrada is said to back to regain position after being dethroned from presidency by 2001’s People Power. Issues of him violating the pardon consequences have been on air, and as of press time there is still no news on whether he will be charged or not.
Atty. Evilla Pormento filed a petition to disqualify Estrada as a presidential candidate. Pormento proposes that COMELEC should declare Estrada as a nuisance candidate. “It will also defeat the wisdom behind the creation of the aforementioned constitutional provision which prescribes as one full six-year term of the President of this Republic without the benefit of reelection,” Pormento said in an article published in Inquirer.net last December 6, 2009.
JIL’s Bro. Villanueva is on his second round of running for the position after he was defeated last elections. In his visions to change traditional politics, Villanueva targets the youth towards a new country with his political party Bangon Pilipinas.
MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando, teamed up with Gordon after losing the administration’s standard bearer position from Teodoro. He has been known because of his strict enforcement of law within Metro Manila, and supporters of him wished he was running for presidency.
“Bayani Fernando ang choice ko. Kasi sa tingin ko siya lamang ang kayang magpatino sa mga pinoy. Kasi sa tingin ko, kahit sino kasing iupo sa Malacañang, kung di naman makikisama ang pinoy, wala rin, (Fernando is my choice. I think he can impose discipline to Filipinos. For me, whoever will be elected, if he will not cooperate with the Filipinos nothing will change,)” Gatchalian supposed.
Difficulty arises for the part of the voters on deciding who to elect, since the election has registered down a long list of aspiring leaders. Qualifications will help and influence the choice of the public on who will be the next leader of the country.
“It’s very important to judge them based on the way they answer questions but above all, aside from the way they answer questions we should also look at the track records of the candidates. Dapat yung abilidad mo (your ability) to say something must be complimented by your work,” Agnes advised on voters.
The Big Question
Elections are chances for change that democracy gives to its people. To exercise one’s right to suffrage is a simple way of change. Out of the 99 listed presidential candidates, only a handful of them were known personalities. Some have been in the political industry for generations and have been descendants of political tycoons.
The youth claims the largest percentage of voters for this election and as young people, participation is crucial. On some aspects, being taught of well grounded education and well-informed members of the society, the youth is never expected to sell their votes as it was like selling the dream of their fellow countrymen.
2010 election is just around the corner. Don’t ask yourself “Why do I need to vote?”, instead ask “Who do I need to vote?”