THE UGLY FACE OF POLITICS (OR AN OPEN LETTER TO RONA CANOY)

My dear Rona,

Our animated discussion last night at VIP Hotel in between your Board Meeting and our Toastmaster’s Educational Session has egged me to write you this open letter. It’s amusing to hear you explain how running into public office came into mind after Butch Canoy was referred to by this paper as the son of Reuben Canoy.

But I was deeply disturbed by how you see things happening in our local politics. The ideals of good governance and the idealism that you have nurtured deep inside still appears ardently aflame. Yes, you want to push for a higher level of politics.

The stark realities appear to point in a different direction. But as you said, if you present yourself and show them true leadership, then losing or winning in the electoral race becomes an irrelevant issue. Of utmost importance is that you have shown everyone a better option.

Winning a seat in the City Hall or in the Halls of Congress, however, is done by the old crop of politicians at all costs. In doing so, the electoral process becomes so sullenly soiled by dirty tricks and in the end, we are left with undesirable leaders.

In Bobby Balinado’s perception, “politicians at present are looked upon with so much disdain.”

Here are my observations on how the political game is played. First, you need money. Oodles and oodles of money. Sacks of small currencies like 20’s and 50’s for the mo­ñedors. Watchers. Purok Leaders. Campaign staff. Transport. Campaign materials. Radio and TV ads. Mobilization expenses for nightly sorties. And finally, more money for those who want their votes to be bought like a cheap commodity.

You would also need an organizational structure, which is referred to as the “machinery.” It is designed to reach the last voter in the community. In fact, it would best serve you if you organize in small patches, showing them your platform of government and the direction to where you will lead our city.

However, some of the politicians have organized the vast masses, especially those in poverty stricken areas, through brainwashing sessions and cultist rituals. The leader then would be presented as a benevolent patron who would redeem them from their sorry state. That way, those unlettered would start revering their cult leader as a demigod. To complete the “machinery”, there is a need for a candidate to align himself or herself with National Group for added resources.

To spice up the campaign, there will be a need to hire entertainers if only to easily mobilize the crowd.

In the end, our election has become a carnival and no longer a decent exercise of choosing an intelligent and sincere person like you into office.

Most of our politicians regard politics as a business endeavor. They measure the amount they need to spend to buy votes, to finance the teachers and to bribe the COMELEC in order to bag their desired position. But beforehand, they have already measured the amount of taxes that the City Hall would be able to collect. They then put into their minds that the money they would be able to stash from our coffers from all the transactions and other dirty deals is a return of their “investments.”

It is of no wonder why Dongkoy declared that he will spend all the money to be collected by the City Hall before leaving his post. He will also leave us with billions of debts from Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

You may then ask, what about the issues on inefficiency, corruption and other illegal activities that have been done by those leaders who want to be re-elected? These are merely side issues and they do not really count. Our government has apparently no political will to punish our corrupt leaders except if they are on the other side of fence.

So where do we go now?

We still fight Rona. We present ourselves and maybe one day not far from today, our children will not blame us for complacency, decadence and apathy.

I hope these thoughts will somehow guide you in your new journey as you confront the ugly face of politics.

Sincerely yours,

Manning