Wednesday, September 09, 2009

On Political Immaturity

It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first. - Ronald Reagan

You know election is just around the corner when political pundits began sharing their “expert” opinions on who is likely to win and who has no chance at all in the coming presidential race. Almost every body who is of voting age has a favorite aspirant. And the majority is hoping it will be an election towards a fresh beginning; a new era of just and transparent governance.

But how many among us sees this event on a different perspective? How many among us turn our heads away from the political arena and observes the spectators at the sideline? How many tried to understand the collective psyche of the very people who will decide on who will win among the slugging contenders?

Politically, as a whole, we are still young. Few cared to scrutinize a candidate’s personal background and political platform. Most have perceptions that are bounded only by things that directly affect their lives. And a lot of us have short memories and attention span. We go to political rallies, not to listen to candidates’ speeches but to be entertained by their silly antics and ogle at their celebrity endorsers. We vote not as an individual but what our “elders” dictate. We wrote down on ballots names that are attached to faces on giant billboards and we look up to politicians like royalties; public figures to be served and not as public servants.

Politicians knew these and base their strategy around that assertion; from old nicknames like “the poor boy from Lubao” to a more modern “Mr. Palengke”. It’s designed not to woe the educated, the intellectuals or the professionals but the “masa”. Their numbers exceeds compared against the other tiers of the social strata combined. You see them everyday. They shriek when they see celebrities. They think Willie Revellame is Godsend. They knew every facet of Sharon Cuneta’s life but can’t say who the current Speaker of the House is. They knew by heart the lyrics of Otso-otso but can’t partially sing “Lupang Hinirang”. They live uncomplicated lives yet their presence are important. Without them, our daily economic life stands still. But for a politician, they are a good source of votes, easy to persuade and manipulate at a minimal expense. All he has to do is find an image these people can “relate” to. In other words, be the man of the people – be “maka-masa”.

One aspirant abuses this particular image that even his son calls him “taong bayan” as in; “Kung ano ang desisyon ng taong-bayan (namely his father), yun ang susundin ko”. Another dresses ala FPJ (rolled up sleeves and denim pants) even in the Senate and talks in high Tagalog words. But what rolls out from his oily tongue are mostly without substance. Only the likes of Alma Moreno (who by the way thinks “ambiance” is a commodity) are enamored in his glibness. Still another ride on the popularity of his parents but has a scatter-brained sibling who is more of a liability rather than a political asset. But what ever these politicians do; may they sing off-tuned hits, dance out of tempo, endorsed by a “mass-based” celebrity like Juday, give rice and can goods in depressed areas or throw candies along campaign trails. They only have one thing in mind, to tickle your hearts and minds, so you’ll remember them come Election Day.

We always cry for change yet we put into office, again and again, the same people who does nothing but retard those aspiration. As long as we don’t properly educate our people, as long as we don’t know how to choose our leaders. As long as we remain politically immature, we can shout all we want until our voice hoarsens. Our aspiration will remain as it is… a dream.

20 comments:

  1. Sad to say, the majority of the 'masa' or the 'taong-bayan' couldn't gain access to the www and read this post; how I wish the politicians you're referring here could...

    Inaasahan kong sa final paragraph ay may iri-recommend po kayong candidate, kahit na sa presidential position lang po. o",)

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  2. magaling magaling magaling....sana mabasa ito ng mga masa at mga politiko at matutukan at makilatis lahat ng mga kandidato at hindi na lang lagi nakatutuk sa programa sa telebisyon na panay ang giling-giling lol....mabuhay...

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  3. Sinabi mo pa, gusto ko na ngang mag boycott eh... hehhe, usually kasi wala tayong napapala from our votes, they use it for their personal agenda...

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  4. there was a time when in my frustrations, i'd rather just ignore the electoral exercises. pero ganun pa rin, tumakbo pa rin ang mundo. naluklok pa rin ang mga di dapat mamuno. marami tayong ideals, lahat ayon sa requirements ng political maturity. pero in the end, mamimili lang tayo sa mga taong inilalatag ang sarili nila para sa proseso. At karamihan sa kanila malayo sa ideal. So what do we do? Choose those who closely meet our own ideals. Hopefully, magkakaparehas ang judgment natin, but at the end of the day, magkakaiba pa rin ang kalalabasan nating choices.

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  5. political life in our country will remain a dream..unless we can change the lives of the 80% Filipinos who are in the poverty line..These people are much concern on their daily needs - how they can eat atleast 3 times a day..This is their satisfaction..And they believe that no leader can feed them..Because of this, their preference to choose a good leader is not important for them..

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  6. I pointed this out in your previous post in the Buhangin Series # 26, and I am thankful you expounded it here. I definitely agree with you, educating our people will help this and correct our inability to chose the right leader for us.

    We are thinking of educating Filipino's here, with 85% knowledgeable population. Sometimes, too much knowledge is also a problem...we are not teachable anymore.

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  7. RJ, if I'm going to recommend a candidate, then I'm defeating the idea I'm espousing.

    dacz, karamihan kasi sa atin hindi nakikita ang pangmatagalang epekto ng pagpili ng kandidato.

    sheng, nakakamanhid hindi ba. Pero huwag kang susuko, hangga't binoboto pa ang namumuno, merong pag-asa.

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  8. R-yo, for now, yes. We may choose those who are nearest to what we think is ideal. Hindi naman natin mayayari yan sa isang buhusan lang. Paunti-unti nating hatakin ang mga botante at politiko sa pagkalugmok sa makalumang politika.

    RUEL & Kenjie, we don't have to change all of them. What we need is to educate them. Good education may lead to better economic standing. What we need is a strong middle-class. A strong middle-class leads to better political judgement since it does not depend on the government nor beholden to the elite.

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  9. susku. sana naman malaman ng botante na pag sinabi ng politiko na siya ay anti-corruption pero walang detalyeng masabi kung ano ang gagawin, ibig sabihin wala talagang plataporma sa ganoong isyu.

    speaking of kakornihan: kailan ba sumakay ng padyak ang milyonaryong gaya ni mar?
    o ilang puno na ba ang naitanim ni loren talaga?
    o sino kaya ang nagbabayad ng mga tv ads nina bayani fernando, ronaldo puno, ebdane, gilbert teodoro?

    buti pa si JPE, walang kahihihiyang sinasabi sa dulo ng ad na: this ad was paid for by juan ponce enrile. hahaha! laban ka?

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  10. I'll start pointing fingers. Media. They're to blame for this. They have all the chance to alleviate the mindset of Pinoys but no. They chose to turn a blindeye and feed us with trash.

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  11. Philippine elections is generally a business, people invest, candidates sell themselves as overly priced, try to improve their payback period by being corrupt, etc. It's vicious and sad. But I am not losing hope.

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  12. atticus, para sa atin, korni. Pero para sa karamihan, kahangahanga ang pinaggagawa ng mga politikong yan! re: laban. I'm still thinking but probable yes. Konti ang choices eh.

    nebz, yep. their are partly guilty too. Kasi most of these mainstream media are owned by people with vested interests.

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  13. Ms.Jo, true, politics is a good investment in the Philippines. The "pork barrel" itself is a good income to most congressmen. Tingnan mo na lang ang isang anak dyan. Biglang lumubo ang yaman.

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  14. Mahirap mang malaman ang bawat motibo ng mga kandidato sa kanilang pagtakbo, magagawa nating pumili nitong mga tinatawag na "lesser evils" ika nga. Ang mahirap, kung pagbabasehan ko ito, mas posible kong iboto yung mga "hindi ko pa masyadong kilala ang likaw ng bituka" at hindi pa "nababahiran ng maruming pulitika". Ngunit, hindi rin naman ako nakakasiguro kung hindi nga sila gagawa ng kapalpakan katagalan. Sana, magpakalalaki ang mga taga-COMELEC. Gumawa sila ng isang "advertisement" o "presentation" na naglalayong ipresenta ang lahat ng mga kandidato mula ulo hanggang paa, himayin ang mga plataporma, ihayag ang mga katiwalian sa nakaraan upang malaman talaga ng taong bayan ang pagkatao ng mga tatakbo.

    Pero maaaring iyan ay maging pangarap ko na lamang habangbuhay.

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  15. Mike, kung meron mang sektor ng lipunan ang may responsibilidad na ipamahagi sa mamamayan ang ganyang kaalaman, walang iba kundi ang medya. Ang masama, ang mga pangunahing medya ay pag-aari ng mga taong may puhunan sa politika, may kinikilingang partido politikal o di kaya ang katapatan at tungkulin sa katotohan ay nabibili.

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  16. Nice post and comments.

    How about these interesting name recall in Barangay level election:

    - Arsenio "Tukmol" Hernandez for councilman
    - Hon. Jihad Bob Carino - SK Chairman

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  17. you hit the nail in the head. Election in Pinas is not about personalities and not programs. We elect a politician because we like him and not what he plans to do.

    Do we know the differences between political parties ? Not a chance. They are all politicos that carry the flag of their respective parties, much like teams lining up in a basketball opening game.

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  18. correction :

    Election in Pinas is about personalities and not programs.

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  19. i hope every Filipino will exercise their right not for money but for a cause..

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  20. Trosp, politiks is all the same in the Philippines. May it be at the barangay or presidential level. : (

    bw, true bro. Anong "para sa kapakanan ng taong bayan"? Politicos does not understand the word "patriotism".

    bing, sana nga ganun... sana nga.

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