Alternative force

Sometime ago people looked forward to every election. That was the golden era during the early years of our independence when the electorate considered the exercise of the right of suffrage as an effective way of periodically assessing the performance of the country’s political leaders in running the affairs of government. They still believed then that election is the best tool to express their feelings of satisfaction or disgruntlement on how the government is being run. They still entertained the thought that by going to the polls they could carry out their decision to change the non-performing or underperforming officials at the helm with other candidates who they believe could serve them better.

Regrettably, that kind of election is no more. People seem to have lost interest in elections. The prevailing mood is to just get it over with so they could go on with their lives. Somehow they have gotten used to our politicians in and out of government as "necessary evils" they have to live with; as monkeys on their backs they cannot shrug off even as they strive to individually improve their own lives. The civic spirit among the citizens is simply gone.

This unfortunate change in attitude is due in large part to the disgraceful depths into which the credibility of our electoral exercise has sunk. Most of our countrymen do not believe anymore that we can have an honest, orderly and peaceful election. The experience in the recent elections simply does not inspire trust in subsequent elections that are fraud free and truly reflective of the people’s will.

The electorate’s skepticism is compounded by a Commission on Elections (Comelec) tainted with scandalous deals and associated with fraudulent, vote rigging methods that could not be shaken off since the Garci tapes came out. While recent appointees to the Comelec look promising and impressive, majority of the Commissioners involved in the scandalous past are still in position. And if there is still some glimmer of hope of a more credible May election, it simply vanished when the automation of the electoral process was scrapped.

But the more important and overriding reason why our people have given up on our election is the glaring lack of honest to goodness choices. The opposition is parading the same kind of candidates previously in office or associated with former regimes that have been toppled through the bloodless people power revolution. Indeed the thought that the same old discredited faces are waiting in the wings has deterred people from going back to the streets in the absence of a credible polls. Billy Esposo our esteemed colleague in the Star and a heavyweight columnist, not necessarily in size but in intellectual insights hit it right on target when he said that: All this time, all we hear from the opposition are criticisms and attacks against the alleged Palace squatter. Over and above that, they offer neither vision nor platform of government. It is the classic case of eroding consumer confidence in Brand X but failing to sell Brand Y as the alternative."

But perhaps still unknown to many, there is a better alternative than Brand Y. Despite the prevailing skepticism, apathy, and lack of interest in our political process, there is still a group of "dreamers" in our midst. Instead of merely dreaming, they have decided to wake up to make their dreams come true even at this late stage in their life. Most of them may already be at the early sunset of their lives, but they still decided to assume the onus of rebuilding the national character because of remorse that they were part of the destruction of that character in their younger years mostly spent in raising and caring for their fledgling families. Their appeal is to let them as elders but still able bodied or retired but not tired first take over the task of rebuilding the nation’s character while the youngsters are busy taking care of their families. They would not like later on when they are no longer around to see their descendants approach their graves and ask them "what have you done or neglected to do for our country grandpa? And so they chose to act by organizing a political party with a vision and a platform as unique and distinct as their dreams.

Thus was born a national political party known as "Ang Kapatiran". Accredited by the Comelec as a national political party on May 8, 2004, Ang Kapatiran’s platform differs from other party platforms because it has injected spiritual and social dimensions in politics anchored on the gospel message of love, truth, justice and peace.

With the rallying cry of "walang sinuman ang nabubuhay para sa sarili lamang" Ang Kapatiran members coming from the middle and upper middle classes set out to enter the murky waters of Philippine politics undaunted by swift currents of traditional election methods churned by political machines running on guns, goons, gold and patronage or sheer popularity and name recall. Armed with an increased faith strengthened by an unwavering hope, they decided to present to the electorate a genuine and authentic alternative to the existing political milieu.

This party may not be as popular and as logistically equipped as the existing political parties. But precisely because it has boldly come out and presented a fresh choice despite the odds, it deserves full support. Perhaps it can serve as the tool for the silent but powerful middle class to launch another people power revolution done through the polls rather than through the streets. More than merely supporting it, they can heed its call for active membership in their organization.

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