So once (or rather yet) again, the Philippine Opposition is in that all-too-familiar process of coagulating into some semblance of an election force in the lead-up to 2016. I wrote about the moronism of it all way back. In the thick of electioneering in 2007 that group known as the Black and White Movement (B&WM) was already mounting a pathetic scrounging around for evidence that the Opposition of the time (which it was a member of) stood for anything of substance beyond its prime agenda to remove then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. This is all they had to say in their website back then when challenged to produce such evidence of substance…
Many in the opposition have clear advocacies and agenda for good governance […]. And there are some in the opposition today who were reformists within the GMA administration.
Party does not matter, only winning: Vice President Jejomar Binay
| SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SOCIAL COMMENTARY! Subscribe to our Substack community GRP Insider to receive by email our in-depth free weekly newsletter. Opt into a paid subscription and you'll get premium insider briefs and insights from us. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter, GRP Insider! Learn more |
True enough, despite pages and pages of blurb on the need for “reform” all over the Black & White Movement website, it all came down to this statement by “helga” (one of the B&WM owners) in a comment in their blog:
[…]it would be a no brainer list, really. Everyone from Team Arroyo would be on the Black List. No fun in that.
This was referring to how the Movement at that time presumed to classify Philippine politicians into Black (no-vote) and White (yes-vote!) as a “guide” to the electorate in their efforts to “elect into Congress men and women of moral courage…”. To which they add “…who will exact accountability from the GMA regime for the unabated corruption and extrajudicial killings”.
Fast forward to 2014 and all that verbose pomposity dished out by the B&WM is now all but framed by the broken promises and flaccid performance of the Second Aquino Administration. The massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao allegedly perpetrated by former Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr not only remains unsolved, the case is progressing at a snail’s pace — obviously not one of the “urgent” priorities of Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS” Aquino III.
For now, as I wrote previously, there is no semblance of any “opposition” that is as organised and “unified” (arguably) as it was back in 2007. Moves to oust President BS Aquino via the impeachment process are being mounted not by the mainstream but by largely marginal Leftist coalitions.
Indeed, one can even argue that there is no opposition at all nowadays. The leading contender for leader of this election’s “opposition”, Jejomar Binay wouldn’t even put it past himself to consider an offer from the ruling Liberal Party (LP) to join them as their presidentiable for the coming elections. Binay’s words: “Walang imposible sa pulitika” (“Nothing is impossible in politics”); implying that anything can and will be done to win, whether it be selling out to the incumbent party and that incumbent party leaving its erstwhile presidentiable Mar Roxas hanging out to dry. Anything is possible.
Never mind, of course, that ideologies and principles may differ between the opposition United Nationalist Alliance party to which Binay currently belongs to and the LP. Then again, the nature of that difference is anybody’s guess. For that matter, ideologies and principles do not even matter in Philippine politics to begin with, much less the differences in such between competing parties. Such is the character of Philippine political discourse now as it always had been. Indeed, promises of reform; that things will be different under the watch of BS Aquino have all been baldly broken (pardon the pun). It still remains all about winnability.
[Photo courtesy WN.com.]
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
What we have is a multi-party system based on personalities. Political ideologies, Party principles and Government plans and policies do not place importance among politicians.
The aim of each party is to secure government control using all resources available to them during the campaign. Once elected (the new administration), forgets the campaign speeches, and starts devouring national coffers. AND the story goes on.
Anything new? YAWN… Just another day in the tropic shithole islands… Don’t set your standard too high, or rather don’t set a standard at all.
By posting the politicians pictures, your just giving these pig shits free publicity.. But, of course, whatever.. they were and will be voted by the equally pig shits for brain citizens. Nothing new.. Just another day in the traffic (este tropic) islands of da pinas. Come-on Pinoys – SURPRISE ME! UP THE ANTE OF STUPIDITY! AND SURPRISE ME! I NEED SOME SORT OF LIKE “WOW I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT!” things you know.. ENTERTAIN ME!
I really doubt anyone coming to GRP with literally a million online choices will use a picture of a certain politician here as their personal tipping point to vote for them.
The House of Representatives is now open for its second regular session. Apart from wanting to fry the High Court to see if they could whack them back, perhaps they will pass a law that will disqualify anyone who has criminal case/charges (i.e. graft and corruption) to run for office on the next elections. But that’s too literal for a “Daang Matuwid” objective and that would leave our election ballot empty so yeah, grill the judiciary!
so you prefer living under a monarchy?
i prefer living where the citizens are smart enough to elect “better” govt officials. not like that country compose of 7100 pieces of craps who’s 80-90% of 100M citizens are dumb as bag of rocks. those guys – they elected clowns as their pres, vp, and legislators. and speaking of monarchy – aint that bad its actually good if you can have a “better” leader, i mean look at UAE.
TRAPOS are the same; irregardless of political party affiliation. There is no political ideologies; no platforms; no programs to solve the problems of the country. All they want is to Win…so, whoever will win; it will be MORE OF THE SAME…
Unless, there is an opposition with new ideology; with a platform understandable to all; and those running are not one of those political family dynasties…we may have Hope that reform will come. However, I cross my fingers…Bad Habits die hard…
U KNO,THEIR DOESN’T EVEN HAVE TO BE AN ELECTION IN 2016. IF U ALL WAKE UP!
Pakitagalog na lang please, hindi naman mandatory mag-english sa blog kung hindi mo kaya.
Noynoy: “Hindi ko alam kung sino ang magtutuloy ng mga nasimulan ko”
Mar Roxas: “Sa opinyon ko, walang ibang pwedeng magtuloy sa ginawa ng Pangulo kundi siya rin mismo”.
Alam ni Noynoy na democratic country tayo kaya dadaan sa election ang pagpili ng kapalit niya. Alam din ni Mar Roxas na isang termino lang ang pagkapangulo sa bansa natin.
What the fuck are these morons smoking? Dumb and Dumber Part 3?
Kahit sinong manalo sa Presidente, kung walang programa na magsolbar sa mga problema ng bansa. Pareho rin ang sitwasyon natin. Pare-pareho sila, kahit anong partido. Gusto lang silang manalo. Pag nanalo, magnanakaw sila; kasama ng mga asungot nila.
I agree with you. That’s why we should increase the standards in electing people in govt’s office. We have an idiot president and politicians because Filipinos choose to have them. The root of the problem is not just the politicians but the Pinoytards who are gullible to their bullshits and afraid of becoming freethinkers.