Parties

"Some people believe they can win, even if they are unknown, have no party, and no national following."

Later today, the Comelec will officially close the filing period for certificates of candidacy for all the elective positions to be voted upon come May 2019.

By the end of this week, we should know how many are running to fill up 12 senatorial seats, 300 or so congressional seats, a fifth of which will be for party-list accommodations, and thousands of local government positions from governor to city mayor and their “vices,” to municipal mayors, down to councilors.

The circus, much like Boracay, will have its “soft” opening tomorrow.  The real campaign will start in February 2019 for the national positions, sometime late March for the local positions.

Last Oct. 9, I dropped by a PDP caucus for candidates in a particular province, because one of the would-be candidates was a friend. That night, they firmed up the party’s candidates for the province.

What surprised me, asking around the table where sat some national officers of the party was at that late stage, they had not yet firmed up the senatorial slate of what is touted as “the” administration political party.

True enough, either singly or in coalition, the PDP even as of this writing, has yet to firm up it’s 12-man slate.  And that is “the” administration party.

From what I gather, there will be four reelectionists: Koko Pimentel, also the party president, Cynthia Villar of the Nacionalista Party, Sonny Angara of the LDP, and JV Ejercito, also known as Estrada JV per his filed COC.  Another NP is Pia Cayetano who the PDP will likewise adopt.  Maybe Imee Marcos, also another Nacionalista, but a week ago that was not yet a sure thing. 

Then there is Bong Go, who filed his COC Monday afternoon with no less than the President himself accompanying him to the Comelec office in the Palacio del Governador. And Francis Tolentino. And Rolando “Bato” de la Rosa. And Sajid Mangudadatu. 

That’s a total of ten.  

Of course, national and international singing artist Freddie Aguilar also filed his COC, claiming to be a member of PDP, but Koko Pimentel disavowed his party status.

Quien mas?  I do not know as of this writing.

The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), I was told by Senate President Tito Sotto, will adopt all the reelectionists, except Koko Pimentel who is head of another party.  That was as of Sunday evening, the 14th of October.

So they will have Grace Poe, Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito, Sonny Angara, Cynthia Villar and Bam Aquino.  Add Pia Cayetano and Imee Marcos.  Plus Bato, Bong and Francis. And Lito Lapid, the returning senator from Pampanga, better known these days as “Romulo Dumaguit” of Pulang Araw cum Vendetta of Ang Probinsyano fame.  The NPC, by adopting so many known names, will have a complete slate earlier than “the” administration party. 

Lakas-NUCD, once a formidable administration party, will field detained former Senator Bong Revilla, plus Dr. Willie Ong, the social media health adviser. I would expect the party to also adopt Imee Marcos as a common candidate.

The so-called “opposition” coalition led by the once humongous Liberal Party, will have re-electionist Sen. Bam Aquino, Chel Diokno, Erin Tanada and election lawyer Romy Makalintal.  Plus Gary Alejano representing party-list Magdalo and Samira Gutoc Tomawis of Tindig Pilipinas.

 And surprise! Mar Roxas belatedly threw his hat into the ring after a political hiatus of more than two years since his defeat in 2016 presidential elections.

That makes seven for the LP, which three years ago was bursting to the rafters with members.

Another surprise is Juan Ponce Enrile, who at 94 has declined a gubernatorial post offered to him by his Cagayan leaders in favor of another “independent” run for senator.  He will be 95 by the time the campaign rolls.  

So many have indeed taken heart after Mahathir’s marvelous comeback as prime minister at 92, to lead Malaysia in “bouncing back.”

Jinggoy Estrada, accompanied by his father the former president now Mayor of Manila, will run under the patriarch’s party, Partido ng Masang Pilipino.  I would expect PMP to likewise adopt Enrile.

With a gaggle of parties unable at this late stage to complete a twelve-man slate, don’t you wish, as I do, that we go back to the two-party system which was the system under the 1935 Constitution?

Then there was an administration party and an opposition party.  They had loyal party members until turncoatism was invented during the leadership of then President Diosdado Macapagal of the Liberal Party.

Senatorial candidates were chosen by way of a party convention, which winnowed the political chaff from the qualified grain.

I recall a story told to me by Tito Doy Laurel about how he won a slot in the NP party convention which chose the eight-man slate, defeating the veteran legislator Lorenzo Sumulong of Rizal (Cory Aquino’s uncle). Though not yet 40 at the time, he had to do the rounds of delegate after delegate, presenting his advocacy of “justice for the poor” which resulted when he was senator in five laws which reformed our judicial and prosecutorial system.  

It was tough “mano-mano,” he said, such that getting nominated by the convention delegates was more difficult than the national campaign itself. 

These days, the party leaders do not choose their senatorial candidates.  SWS and Pulse Asia are the service providers in choosing who gets to run.  

Or “tigas-ulo” coupled with “bilib sa sarili.” Some people believe they can win, even if they are unknown, have no party, and no national following.

A senatorial seat has become a function of personal popularity plus a personal machinery plus money.  What good is the party?  Minimal.

And all because we have no genuine political parties. The Cory Constitution of 1987 provided for a multi-party cum party-list system, and in the process debased political parties into mere flags of convenience.