Today is the anniversary of the death of former Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo who died in a plane crash in 2012. Because he was seen to be a decent fellow, a lot of politicians and “activists” got on the bandwagon of hero worship, just short of turning him into a Catholic saint and erecting temples in his honour along a major highway (sound familiar?).
Robredo’s widow, Leni Robredo (or rather her new-found “friends” in politics) rode on this new-found cult of dead personality and, as a result, is now a member of the Philippines’ House of Representatives. Now that the 2016 presidential elections is looming in the horizon, they want her to run as Vice President. That’s the power of popularity in Philippine politics — particularly its rather distasteful flavour: necropolitics.
Indeed, Leni Robredo joins that other wildly-popular “presidentiable” Grace Poe in that esteemed clique of sought-after politicians who form the esteemed Dead Relatives Society of Pinoy politics. Its founding member was the late former President Cory Aquino who rose to power on the back of the brouhaha the assassination of her husband caused in 1983. Her son, current President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III, followed in that tradition like the good son, coming out of nowhere following the death of his mother in 2009 to seize the Liberal Party (LP) presidential nomination from then lead candidate Mar Roxas who is now sentenced to a sad life of clinging to political survival by parroting LP taglines ad nauseum.
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Indeed, it is really distasteful the way using dead people for political gain has become such a strong tradition in Philippine politics. Supposedly to commemorate the anniversary of Sec. Robredo’s death, for example, people in the Liberal Party camp of President BS Aquino came up with this meme:
Note the yellow-themed colours of this image. It is as if the message “Robredo is ours” jumps out of the page. But did the Liberal Party pay for Robredo’s salary in life while serving as a cabinet secretary? No. The Filipino people did. And not all Filipinos are Liberal Party supporters nor are all of them subscribed to BS Aquino’s Yellow brand. What is this meme trying to tell us then — that it is only Filipinos who are loyal to the Yellow colours who possess the right to commemorate the late Secretary?
We might remind some people here that the Philippines’ colours are good ol’ red-white-and-blue. Not yellow. Not Green. Red, white, and blue.
Specially during elections, politicians like bandying around the notion that all this noise is really all about what is good for the Filipino people. But the colours, the subliminal messages, and the actual in-your-face actions of these people pretty much say the opposite — that partisanism and persnal agendas trump everything else.
It’s hypocrisy on a national scale and Filipinos happily lap it all up every time.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Ang dapat na kulay sa ating bansa ay TRANSPARENT! Kailangan natin ng TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY at HONESTY sa ating bansa maslalo na sa gobyerno natin. Sayang pumanaw si Jesse Robredo noong 2012 kung sakaling buhay pa siya sa ngayon sigurado pwede siya tumakbo ng Vice President o Pangulo ng ating bansa sa darating na 2016. At least nandyan pa si Duterte pero sana walang papatay sa kanya o kaya biglang namatay sa aksidente si DU30 kungdi mawawala na talaga ang pag-asa sa ating bansa. 🙁
@mrericx
Wala kayang foul play sa plane crash..After his death. Boy Pickup was born
The vast majority of people think there’s a hell of a lot more to life than just politics. And you’ve got to bear that in mind- because you’re actually trying to represent them.
The point never to lose sight of is to be guided by the correct thing, as you see it. It’s the only way to approach such profound matters and retain your integrity.
Dead people are History. They had done their parts in this life; and cannot do anymore. To capitalize on dead people’s name is absurd.
Robredo was the Secretary of Local Government, when the Chinese tourist hostage murders had taken place. If he was that good, as Aquino is telling us. Why did he let this happen?
Besides, the whereabout of Aquino during that time is still in question. No one has taken responsibility on that incompetence…
Using dead people to get elected, is insanity. It shows idiocy of Philippine politics…and, Aquino and his Liberal Party are the worse idiots…
Kasi wala kay Sec. Robredo yung control sa PNP, unlike nung DILG time ni Mar. Aysus.
@54Hayden00777Toro
Correct me if I am wrong.. They have to murder a scapegoat to ride to his popularity,example is Benigno Aquino. Putang na wag naman sanang nilason si The king para maka catapult si Grace.sa politika..This “inutil” BS Aquino weather dead or alive has no important significant to be used for political purpose.
The End justifies the Means…
@54Hayden00777Toro
Boycott the ABS CBN product endorsement..This Media is the one that spreading false information.
They are also dedicated to defend any wrongdoings of Aquino.
It has been long, since I watch programs from the ABS-CBN. The Lopezes owns the network. They also own companies, with contracts, with the Philippine government. This is the reason, they are beholden to the Aquinos.
It is worse than hypocrisy for it is a hypocrisy they are not ashamed of. They capitalize on the short memory of Pinoys. Recall that LP, particularly PNoy, didn’t treat Robredo well while he was still alive.
@Add –Kaya nga baket nauwi pa sa plane crash,sana ay ni “Laid off na lang ni Pnoy with pabaon pares ni Napenas”.
Philippine Politics – I just don’t know what to say with this subliminal messages sent by the yellow zombies.
Yellow symbolizes what?
Yellow = Chicken
Yellow = Cowardice
Yellow = Chinese
Yellow does not symbolize purity,
Yellow does not symbolize gold, gold is gold, not yellow.
And Jesse Robredo is not Yellow.
PYRITE mineral, which is also called: “Fool’s Gold” is colored: Yellow amd glitters…
OH PLEASE STOP !!!! The founder of the cult of dead politicians is Marcos !!! Look at this, the same people over and over and over again. (No one in that guys family could get elected ‘prisoner’ without his name being theirs.)
Hate to say such negative things but the Philippines is doomed, it is ! For all the clamouring for change that has gone on for generations, it is still the same people from the same families that are running the country. Eating glass is more productive than having these people run the country.
@Jenny Gillette
Correction–Started when scapegoat Benigno Aquino was assassinated in MIA by his relatives to catapult Cory the majongera, and when she died, catapult the abnormal son. Grace Poe copycat the event by murdering ” The KING” of booze overdose.
I agree yellow flag… ipinilit talaga ni jenny gillete isama si marcos e no?mukantanga e. Haha.