“Ang gobyernong ito ay walang kinikilingan kahit ka-partido ka man o hindi.” –Biñan City Rep. Marlyn Alonte-Naguiat
In most countries around the world, political parties represent an identity and belief system in how a government should be run. Typically, there is a left-wing side, advocating more government intervention and control; and a right-wing, one that support less government and more focused on individual liberty. In some cases, extremes of both sides come out and form their own parties.
In the Philippines, political parties are essentially meaningless. In a country that previously was a two-party system, the Nacionalista Party (NP) and the Liberal Party (LP); what signaled the end of the significance of political parties was the coalition they built a few years ago. Sure the creation of coalition parties is a common practice, but when two parties that are expected to represent opposite ends of the political spectrum come together on the same agenda, that eliminates any differences among all parties and eliminates their purpose altogether.
With the recent decision by the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to pursue charges against Negros Occidental Government Alfredo Marañon, Jr. surrounding a controversial land purchase made in 2012, given that an investigation into the matter required a change of presidential administration, it would appear partisan politics was the primary barrier for government agencies to look into the matter to clear up any indiscretions.
The superiority of partisanship could not have been made clearer than when Biñan City Rep. Marlyn Alonte-Naguiat addressed congress to defend herself from allegations she bribed inmates of the New Bilibid Prison to recant their testimony against embattled Senator Leila De Lima.
Alonte-Naguiat, like Marañon, dropped their previous party affiliation and joined the party of President Rodrigo Duterte, PDP-Laban, following his election last year.
“Aaminin ko po, sumama ang loob ko, inisip ko, ito ba ang gobyernong aking pinaglalaban? Ito ba ang partido na aking sinamahan? (I’ll admit it, I had ill feelings, I thought, is this the government I am fighting for? Is this the party I joined?),” she said. “Hindi naman siguro ako nagkamali, iniisip ko na lang, ang gobyernong ito ay walang kinikilingan kahit ka-partido ka man o hindi (I may not be wrong, I only tell to myself that the government is impartial whether or not you are a party mate).”
An admission the Duterte administration is acting with impartiality shows the expectations of invincibility after joining the ruling party were shattered.
According to a piece published on news site Rappler, just before the 2016 presidential election, “The idiot’s guide to Philippine elections” by Bertrand Rodriguez, Jr., “Politicians switch political parties and allegiances to join the ruling party or coalition; only time will tell when the word ‘balimbing’ and its conjugates will have their place in the English dictionary.” His explanation is the likely foundation of the expectations espoused by both aforementioned politicians.
This is not to say they are the only one guilty of such machinations, it’s a part of political culture in the Philippines, which is why political parties are without principle and purely for show.
A piece entitled, “Turncoatism in PH,” by Roger Pe, published last year in The Philippine Daily Inquirer, noted, “Politics in the Philippines swings like a pendulum and the balimbing (star fruit, which is synonymous to a turncoat in the country) rides on the crest of a wave.”
“Hide tide or low tide, would he or she be on your side? It depends where the wind blows,” he explained.
He cited retired University of the Philippines Professor Clarita Carlos, who explained the formal purpose of political parties.
“Political parties are supposed to aggregate interests, articulate issues, and prepare a program of government based on a platform of basic principles,” she said.
Carlos contrasted it with how the Philippines defined political parties, saying, “Political parties do not have distinguishing characteristics and platform.”
She explained, “Why is turncoatism so rampant? Because it pays to change color and, yes, one even gets better political largesse when he or she switches political groups.” This was another contrast to a previous point made, noting, in other countries, “Crossing the ‘aisle,’ or changing political parties is virtual political suicide.”
He also cited De La Salle University Assistant Professor Richard Javad Heydarian, saying, “Politicians are often driven by self-interest rather than ideology, switching allegiances is endemic in the country because the Constitution is extremely lax on the ability of candidates to switch parties at a snap of a finger.”
Perhaps another element of change the Duterte administration may be implementing is a return to principles. The president is following through with many of the promises made during the campaign; promises of change and law enforcement, instead of the status quo of enriching political allies and implementing a policy based on handouts and buying the party’s reelection. Party does not seem to matter today when it comes to catching a whiff of government malfeasance and the country is better off if, in the future, the public is voting for ideas and not campaign jingles and celebrity endorsements./WDJ