A COLUMN OR TWO BACK we wrote about what we think is a major “weakness” in the Philippine Constitution – the one that calls for the dismantling of political dynasties in the country.
We say it is a “weakness” because while it connotes urgency in the implementation of that particular provision, yet it can only be done when an enabling legislation is passed by Congress and eventually signed by the President into law. And who are the members of Congress tasked to craft the bill for the purpose? Many of them were delegates to the Convention that drafted the current Charter. Then their scions followed after them.
Other than those people the long dominant names in politics in every town, city, province and district came back running to re-claim their former turf.
Moreover, new names surface that later on have every relevant elective positions in their areas allocated to immediate members of their family.
How then could the eradication of political dynasties as desired in the Constitution be ever attained?
And here is another one clear miss by the framers of the fundamental law of the land. We refer to qualifications of citizens who want to run for public office, especially positions in the high echelon of government – one aspirant’s clean personal record.
Really we have a hard time figuring out why a person facing criminal charges, though not yet convicted, has all the freedom to run for public office including that of the Office of the President, the Vice President and down to senators, congressmen, governors, mayors, councilors and others.
Even those whose alleged crime is heinous. Persons convicted of crimes but on appeal can still run for public office.
But how should this “laxity” in the Constitution be reconciled with the imposition by private companies and even government offices for applicants to certain positions including the lowest ones to secure clearances starting from the barangay level, from the police, the courts, the National Bureau of Investigation, up to the National Intelligence Coordinating Administration (NICA). If the job applicant happens to have brushes and recorded in any of the mentioned agencies no matter how minor, his or her application is sure to go to the waste basket.
What a travesty to our so-called Constitutionally-guaranteed fairness and equality in treatment of everyone.
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In a recent column by fellow media man Ver Bermudez, The Mindanao Insider, he raised the question what prodded former Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte (FPRRD) to run again for Mayor of Davao City. Bermudez said in his item that certainly a Mayor of a city even if it is a highly urbanized one, is certainly a much smaller office. According to the columnist-publisher the Presidency in fact is considered the ultimate dream of every politician to achieve. Thus, once elected to that office what more is there to prove.
We fully agree with Ver’s apparently being in a quandary on FPRRD’s motive of sliding down to the city chief executive position when he could still remain on the pedestal of a very few whose journey in politics was never blotted with even a single loss up to the Presidency.
Our take on the matter is that with Karlo Nograles challenging his son incumbent Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, the foundation of his family’s hold on the entire city could possibly crumble. And that is one scenario in the city’s politics that the former President cannot afford to happen. Meaning, FPRRD is not willing to take any chances.
The former President too, cannot risk pulling out his daughter Vice President Sara from the Vice Presidency to run for Mayor. It could mean a reduction of her time to move around the country to further boost her chances to the Presidency in 2028.
Other than that an FPRRD win, which is certain at this point in time, Baste’s return as mayor of the city is as certain as the sun rising in the east. After all, Baste as candidate for Vice Mayor, is very likely to be carried by the win of his father. And as can be expected J. Melchor Quitain who too, is a sure winner in the council race for the first district, will again be back as Vice Mayor.
But with the perceived overwhelming dominance of FPRRD over the young Nograles months before the start of the official campaign, anything can still happen. Nograles, for sure, is not out to just surrender his fate without a fight. He could have some aces in his sleeves that could alter the potential outcome of the polls. He certainly knows what game he is into. Thus, he must already have the plan how to play his game.
In fact if we have to cite one big advantage of Karlo that he could use to the maximum is his youth. He can very well afford to personally meet the Davaoeno electorate in person even those who are in the remotest of rural areas.
Other than this, the situation today is far different from when it was when his father ran for mayor. During those times the elder Nograles cannot set foot in the villages up the city’s hinterlands allegedly because of the communist rebels’ dislike of him (the elder Nograles).
