Alfred McCoy’s classic description of Philippine politics—as “an anarchy of families”—was coined in the early 1990s, but two decades later it’s even more apt and true. The results of the 2013 midterm polls have only confirmed that, while guns, goons and gold continue to play a huge part in how this country elects its leaders, a fourth element—bloodline—has the strongest grip of all on the system.
Not all was light and hope in the last elections, there was a dark side to them. Agence France-Presse pointed it out last week. The elections also produced a “rogues’ gallery” of winners. Those rogues are:
Textbook history is riddled with cardboard characters to hide the complexity of human nature that some teachers find difficult to explain. With the exception of the rivalry between the two Cavite factions of the Katipunan (Magdalo vs. Magdiwang), or the overblown but poorly explained conflict between Emilio Aguinaldo and Andres Bonifacio, or between Aguinaldo and Antonio Luna, all the characters in the story of the nation are selfless and only thought of the country’s interests. In order to make sense of the way we in the present deal with elections—local or national—we have to go back and confront the ghosts of the past.
Before the Aquino administration could consolidate its control of Congress following the midterm elections, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) pressed the government to redouble its efforts in ensuring energy security if it wanted to attract more investors.
My daughter just went through her second open heart surgery last week, a successful repair of the mitral valve which her surgeon, Dr. Karl Michael Reyes, said could last a lifetime.
The defect in the proclamation of the winning senatorial candidates has been corrected, according to election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, who criticized the proclamation soon after the first six senators were proclaimed. Macalintal was one of the three guests at the Kapihan sa Manila at the Diamond Hotel last Monday. The two others were Dr. Honorata L. Catibog, director of the Department of Health’s National Center for Disease Prevention and Control, and Dr. Anthony P. Calibo, also of the same center and a specialist in the care of the newborn.
Peace and reconciliation, in a region rife with armed conflicts over sectarian, ideological and territorial differences, were the focus of the recent general assembly of the Centrist Asia-Pacific Democrats International (Capdi) in this coastal city in Southern Sulawesi, Indonesia.
It is time to reassess the strategy we have thus far taken to resolve the problem involving the Kalayaan Group of Islands and related maritime zones, including those of the Philippine archipelago. The strategy has not worked but has moved us further away from a solution to the problem.
Taiwan’s rejection of President Aquino’s apology for the death of a Taiwanese fisherman was expected. It shows Taiwan is more inclined to side with China in the latter’s dispute with the Philippines over territorial sovereignty.
With the election fever over or behind us, newly elected Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap”’ Estrada should fulfill his campaign promise to bring back the lost glory of Manila and make it on a par with the advanced Southeast Asian cities.
We write in behalf of Picar Development Inc. and AMA Land Inc. (Amali) to set the record straight on the developments related to their projects that Conrad Banal wrote about in his column titled “Law and ordeal” (Inquirer, 4/11/13).
“Do not look at the heavens through a bamboo reed.” Can this Japanese proverb help us sift through the May 13 elections’ mixed bag? Nobody loses an election here. Those trashed insist they were cheated.
