The business of politics

Politics will continue to dominate the news everyday, and people can continue to expect the same thing to happen in the next year. In retrospect, this has rather been the norm for the last nine years during this current administration, with most politicians positioning themselves for the next election the minute they occupy their elected positions. We can’t really blame people for becoming so cynical, believing the worst every time a new issue involving politicians comes along. Many Filipinos have come to believe that in this country, politics is business – pretty much like a “commercial enterprise” involving transactions where “wheeling and dealing” have become pretty normal.

The controversy involving Senator Manny Villar and the ethics complaint filed against him by Jamby Madrigal is a case in point. The complaint has given rise to allegations that Villar used his position to benefit his (and his wife’s) businesses. Pundits are now making fun of the senator’s favorite slogan of “Sipag at Tiyaga” with insinuations that Villar’s millions must have come from “C-5 at taga.”

While not all people may believe the allegations against Villar, Filipinos are closely watching the whole issue especially with the “evidence” presented by Jamby’s lawyer specifying areas that supposedly benefited from the so-called double insertion for a road diversion project in Las Piñas. While the former Senate president has the right not to attend the proceedings (which his allies in the minority continue to question alleging that the rules have been skewed to hang Villar), majority believe he should at least try to defend himself, confront his accusers and present contrary evidence to once and for all put all these nasty allegations to rest.

When it comes to a question of honor, Filipinos are very sensitive and more often than not, they fight back their detractors with everything they have to protect their name. And based on the comments of many, at the very least, this is what they expect Villar to do – to show his face at the hearings, come out fighting (and swinging with a big bat at that) instead of sulking and totally ignoring the proceedings.

What’s been happening in the Senate seems to bolster perceptions that everything (particularly when it comes to politics) ultimately becomes personal. The word war between Juan Ponce Enrile and Nene Pimentel – two “elder statesmen-senators” – started out as an academic discussion between people of opposing views and soon degenerated into a verbal tussle as the attacks from both camps became personal in nature. 

Add to this the mouthful released by Congressman Benny Abante against Senator Bong Revilla that the latter should be blamed for the proliferation of the Hayden Kho-Katrina Halili sex video because the senator sat on a House-approved anti-pornography bill that would have given offenders huge fines and stiff prison terms. From the way things look, the cynicism among Filipinos has become quite widespread that even the prospect of automating the elections has been dampened once again by rumors of bid rigging and bribery. In fact, wiseass comments are proliferating that if the elections become automated, then we can expect vote-rigging and cheating to become automated as well. As Chiz Escudero pointed out, even the United States has not perfected its automated voting system – so how much more in a country that has yet to embark on a hitherto untried technology?

In any case, the growing perception among Filipinos is that nothing significant has been done in the last five years due to the continued wrangling among politicians. While the President has made headway in some economic reforms passed by her administration, they have not been enough to markedly improve the quality of life especially among the poor. Although the Philippines is relatively better off than other countries that have gone into recession, it’s sad to note that more could have been done to insulate the country better from external shocks such as the current global financial crisis.

On hindsight, we should have opened up the economy 10 years ago by reforming restrictive provisions in the Constitution. As UP economics professor Gerry Sicat had pointed out, these restrictions have impeded the flow of much-needed foreign capital into the country in specific areas of economic activities. Since equity ownership among foreigners is limited to only 40 percent, liberalizing rules on citizenship could have increased the inflow of foreign capital on domestic enterprises – but even the basis of citizenship which is through blood relations is also very restrictive.

Sicat said that failure to lift these restrictive provisions – specifically in the areas of land ownership, public utilities and telecommunications – have hurt the country’s economic development over the years. Even Trade Secretary Peter Favila has acknowledged that amendments to prohibitive economic provisions could help sustain domestic growth. While allowing foreigners to own land can be a very emotional issue, still, it’s about time we opened up foreign participation for the country to cope with the demands of a highly competitive, globalized market.

Looking at the way politics is being conducted these days, it wouldn’t be surprising for people to think that not much can be expected in the next year. At best, Filipinos can only hope that the next leader – whoever he or she may be – will be strong enough to make the necessary, meaningful changes that this country will need to cope with the rapidly changing economic times, and most importantly, when the population hits the 100 million mark by 2012. If this country is to survive, then politics cannot be “business as usual.” Or more importantly, politics cannot be a “business.”

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