Palace: Voters decide on political dynasties

MANILA, Philippines -  Malacañang backed off yesterday from the issue of political dynasty in the country, saying voters had chosen the leaders they would elect in office.

President Aquino comes from a political family and his cousin, Bam Aquino, is running for senator under the administration coalition.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the President himself, when he was still senator, had said the people must look at the qualifications and “let’s not disqualify on the mere basis of the name.”

“But, again, look at the qualifications and the track record of someone who is being accused of being part of a political dynasty,” Valte said.

Asked about families that seemed to be dominating the country’s politics, Valte said “first, you also have to bring it back to the voters.”

“You cannot hide the (blood) relations and it will be up to the voters to decide who they want as public servants – senators, congressmen, mayors. That will entirely be up to the public,” Valte said.

Valte said Malacañang was not defending political dynasties but would not stop the public from voting siblings, father-and-son/daughter or mother-and-son/daughter teams into public office.

“The voters know this. So it is up to them. First off, while that (anti-dynasty) is in the Constitution, there is no law enacted that would implement that particular provision and in this case, the clause in the Constitution is not self-enabling – meaning it requires legislation that does not exist until now. So, while that is the case in the present, it will be up to the voters really to decide who their elected officials will be,” Valte said.

Valte said she was not aware if there were efforts to make the anti-dynasty proposal a priority of the Aquino administration.

She said there were pending bills before the legislature but “we will consult with the President” on this particular issue.

Administration coalition senatorial candidate Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara said the Filipino electorate should not vote for candidates based on their surnames or popularity, but on their track record, performance, and qualifications.

Angara, the son of Sen. Edgardo Angara, said “voters should not vote for candidates merely because of their popular surnames or simply because their relatives hold elective positions too.”

“I support the call of those who were saying that political dynasties must be examined carefully,” the younger Angara said. “We must learn to separate the wheat from the chaff.”

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) advised the voting public to scrutinize the qualifications of every candidate. They should select candidates who are knowledgeable, principled and have love for the country.”

De Villa lamented some traditional election practices continue ahead of the next year’s elections.

“It appeared that the trend nowadays is that the candidates came from political dynasties. There is nothing wrong with that, especially if the person is a good public servant, what worries me is that this is not indicative of a healthy democracy because if we really have democracy, then the leadership should be passed around and have broader participation of people,” De Villa said.

“If there are political dynasties then our election would just be exclusive because the election would be just among a few families,” she added.

In the country, elections are very costly, thereby limiting the chances of a financially handicapped person, more so if he is not affiliated with any political party. De Villa added, “Even if he is good, he would not have a chance.”

The Marcoses and the Jalosjos clan have made preparations for next year’s elections in their respective electoral districts.

Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos is virtually running unopposed en route to her second term in next year’s elections.

Her first cousin, Vice Gov. Angelo Barba, has no rival in his post, also assuring him of a second term after his earlier supposed rival, former Pagudpud town mayor Reynolan Sales, chose to run for vice mayor in tandem with his wife, Mayor Maja Sales.

Former first lady Imelda Marcos’ second term bid as Ilocos Norte second district representative is now being challenged by three contenders – lawyer Ferdinand Ignacio of Paoay town, Lorenzo Madamba and Arlene Jocelyn Butay, both from San Nicolas town.

In Batac City, the hometown of the Marcoses, Imee’s son Borgy Manotoc is seeking the mayoralty post in tandem with his aunt Cecilia Marcos as vice mayor.

The Jalosjos clan in western Mindanao, now also known as Zamboanga Peninsula, has fielded family members and allies in its three provinces and three cities. – Paolo Romero, Evelyn Macairan, Charlie Lagasca, Teddy Molina, Antonio Rimando