‘We deserve who we elect’

WHO DO we vote for on May 9? And where will we be headed once the last vote has been counted and all is said and done?

Philippine elections have always been highly partisan exercises. Social scientists and anthropologists say that’s because Filipinos tend to be both contentious and loyal to a fault. Before Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972, we only had two political parties—Liberal and Nacionalista. While that simplified the choices for the electorate somewhat, the situation lent itself well to polarization.

Today, every time a campaign period starts, we fight ardently for our chosen candidate. We spend time and money to join the sorties and show our undying support because we believe our candidate can do no wrong, despite what the rival camps say. It’s the same misguided fervor that we bestow on our beloved basketball teams or telenovela stars.

As early as the time of President Elpidio Quirino, the rambunctious Philippine media bewailed the “guns, goons and gold” campaign tactics employed by practically every serious candidate for local and national office.

Maybe the “3Gs” are no longer as effective in the age of social media and viral videos, but street-smart campaign strategists now have incredibly sophisticated, tech-driven approaches to ensure that their respective candidates are “top of mind” in
areas that are not their bailiwicks, or to undermine the stature of opponents in theirs. Facebook, in particular, has become a no-holds-barred battleground for the hearts and minds of the electorate.

Our economy is the best it has ever been in recent memory. The Philippines has been recognized as a prime destination for globally positioned businesses in the IT BPM (information technology and business process management) industry, which now employs over a million people and continues to generate thousands upon thousands of jobs daily. The other sectors, like manufacturing, agriculture and semiconductors, are all experiencing growth. Even the most conservative business analysts see a stable economic future for the Philippines, all things being equal.

And yet, the absence of true political parties with detailed and clearly articulated economic policies and development strategies has left our people inexplicably drawn to the fiery outbursts of petty demagogues, adventurists and charlatans, like moths to a flame.

I have heard cynics say more than once that the Filipino people are not mature enough for democracy. They cite the surprising support for Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City, whose public pronouncements range from uncivil to outright reprehensible.

The rest of the world probably thinks that Philippine society must have made a wrong turn somewhere on its way to the modern tech-driven world, because the era of the strongman ended in the 20th century.

Defying logic, the surveys show that Duterte is poised to become our next president. He would have been more at home in the company of authoritarian rulers like Pol Pot of Cambodia, Idi Amin Dada of Uganda, Suharto of Indonesia, and Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines. He has even said publicly that he will give the presidency to Bongbong Marcos should he fail to meet his campaign promise of ending crime in six months, either in total disregard of the Constitution or on the presumption that the dictator’s son will win the vice presidency.

Sadly, many young voters know of these despots only through the internet, or poorly written textbooks and high school history lessons
perfunctorily delivered by PE teachers.

Even the best and brightest among us are wearily disappointed and deeply frustrated by an electoral process that has yielded leaders unable to inspire us to be the selfless Filipino citizens that earned the admiration and respect of the global community just three decades ago.

And maybe that’s where we should all begin: When Marcos called for a snap election in 1986 he was supremely confident that he would get his way. After all, his leverage of the incumbency was the envy of other Asian strongmen. That was his fatal error. The people’s voice would not be denied, and we risked everything just so we could be heard. For one shining moment the Filipino people were one, and it was not at Edsa: It was at every polling place, claiming and exercising our right to choose.

The situation is a lot more complex now, because those seeking public office today are wildly popular sports heroes, action stars, media heartthrobs, and one heavily romanticized vigilante. Their appeal has only served to divide us even more. Insults have been traded, relationships have been shattered, and friendships have been eroded in the course of this campaign. But amid the din of competing campaign messages, we must remember that the candidates merely seek to be public servants, and are not superheroes or messiahs. Our right to vote comes with the responsibility of transcending personal aspirations and loyalties for the greater good. That’s what democracy is.

If or when Duterte wins, he is duty-bound to do what is right for all of us, not for just the ones who contributed to his electoral victory. Whatever he does, whatever he becomes, reflects on all of us whether we voted for him or not.

In the words of the late Haydee Yorac, “We deserve who we elect.”

Butch Hernandez ([email protected]) is the executive director of the Eggie Apostol Foundation.