The Liberal Party has become the KBL of yesteryears

In the 1960's when we used to live in my grandfather's residence in Mango Ave., my grandfather, Don Jose Avila had statues of three dwarfs in the middle of our circular driveway. As kids, we thought that they were funny and colorful and provided an atmosphere for small children like me. Later in life, we were told by many priests that these were brazen idols mentioned in the 2nd Commandment "Thou Shalt not make any graven idols or images." We had to destroy those images even if they were antiques because they represented the evil spirits' hold on our house and family.

Yesterday I passed by the Metropolitan Cathedral and lo and behold, the front door of the Cathedral has two dragons guarding the main door of the main church of the Cebu Archdiocese. I learned from a good source that these were "gifts" given to the Archdiocese during the time of the late Julio Cardinal Rosales. I took photos of these two dragons and asked myself… if we destroyed the dwarfs that my grandfather "enthroned" in his house, I strongly believe that the Cebu Archdiocese should also destroy these graven images so that the blessings of God would shower the archdiocese of Cebu especially that we are hosting the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC). I have posted the photos in my Facebook account so that the Cebu clergy would wake up to the reality that there is no room for graven images that guard the door of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

***

At the 888 News Forum which was held temporarily at the Mariner's Court at the ALU-Vimcomtu compound yesterday morning, ours guests were Talisay Mayor Johnny de los Reyes and Rene Espina, Jr. who both belong to the Liberal Party and it was during that forum did I come to realize that the LP was literally everywhere. We know that the Gullas political clan is also allied to the LP, while in Lapu-Lapu City, Mayor Paz Radaza also belongs to the LP. So we asked… what's happening to the LP?

If you ask me, what is happening to the LP today is almost akin to the unlamented Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, that political monolith that ruled the political landscape from 1972 to 1986 when the conjugal Marcos dictatorship was forcibly removed by the 1986 EDSA People's Power Revolution. Of course, there are still a few remnants of the KBL even now… and in fact they are trying to jumpstart their political party when they officially endorsed Sen. Ferdinand "Bong Bong" Marcos, Jr. to run for president in the coming presidential elections of 2016.

In Lapu-Lapu City, I gathered that Rene Espina, Jr., the son of former Cebu governor and later senator Rene Espina, would be running for the lone congressional district under the LP banner. But when I criticized the LP, he responded that his group was the original LP, while the rest were "fake" LP's. I'm sure that when the election period comes, the Cebuano voters would end up confused, which LP faction they would be supporting. The same thing is true in Talisay City, where the political rivals all profess to belong to the LP. If you ask me, the Gullas family should retain the Alayon Party because this is the party that brought them to victory.

From the looks of things, not many people are proud to belong to the LP. If you looked back into our political history, it is just like the days of the KBL where all the politicians belonged but were not proud of being KBL members. But for those who belonged to the Pusyon Bisaya, the only party to fight the KBL, they were proud to be the lone opposition against the monolith of the KBL.

One of them was former assemblyman, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and now UN Philippine representative, Hilario Davide, Jr. But because Jun Davide supported Pres. Benigno Aquino III blindly, including the Bangsamoro Basic Law, his political luster has been tarnished. After the 888 News Forum was done, we stayed for a while talking about politics and everyone seemed to agree that the LP would go the way of the KBL, simply because it is the ruling party and therefore a party of convenience by unscrupulous politicians.

Many media men who joined the 888 News Forum also predicted that in a month's time, right before the deadline of the filing of certificates of candidacy, many members of the LP would jump ship to other political parties that they perceive would win in the 2016 presidential elections. I concur with the observations of many that many politicians would abandon the LP, just like they abandoned the KBL. After all, there is no law that prevents political butterflies from jumping from party to party. This is the political reality of the Philippines today since we threw out the unlamented Marcos Dictatorship 29 years ago, and I dare say it is time to change this!

***

For email responses to this article, write to [email protected] or [email protected]. His columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.