Yes, Philippine politics is nothing but a circus

Twenty-two Filipinos have filed their certificates of candidacy before the Commission on Elections and maybe only four or five are serious ones. The rest are nuisance candidates who just want to gain publicity. Perhaps the biggest disappointment of all is that Pascual Racuyal whom my dear friend, Dr. Resil Mojares, dubbed the "quixotic nobody" failed to file his COC this year. When I Googled the name of Racuyal, it was then that I realized the Dr. Mojares wrote a lecture on "The Strange and Sad Career of Pascual Racuyal who the article cited as the "Remembrance as the sad clown who appears on stage to show up the idiocy and farce that characterize much of Philippine politics itself."

Indeed, Philippine politics is nothing but a circus aimed to entertain the Filipino people and drive our focus from our nation's problems. This is why I have always batted for a total political reform starting with a Parliamentary/Federal system where there will no longer be any national elections. Just imagine how much savings you would get when all elections are already local? Our best example just happened in Australia when Prime Minister Tony Abbott was suddenly replaced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last Sept. 15, 2015. That change in the political leadership in Australia didn't cost anyone anything… not even a sticker or a shirt or campaign materials. No wonder they are a rich nation.

Meanwhile, in the United Nationalist Front, it is now the tandem of Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay and Sen. Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan as his vice presidential candidate that will seek the people's vote in the 2016 elections. This tandem is clearest proof that in politics, the only thing permanent is change. Your enemy today might just be your political partner tomorrow. This reminds us of the days during the coups against then Pres. Cory Aquino when Col. Honasan was fighting the president and Binay was supporting Tita Cory. Of course Col. Honasan lost only to become a senator.

This just goes to show how ugly Philippine politics has become. An unknown Navy Ensign by the name of Antonio Trillanes IV who spearheaded the so-called "Oakwood Mutiny" got caught and jailed.  Then thanks to our kind of politics, he is launched into the hallowed halls of the Philippine Senate. No wonder there aren't any more debates in the Senate anymore. What kind of eloquence can we get from soldiers who have "Messianic" minds? 

Meanwhile, as of press time, I still haven't heard whether Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte throw his hat into the presidential ring. He has taken too "Teka-teka-teka" long to decide whether he would go for it or not. But as I already wrote before, Mayor Duterte will support Mar Roxas because that's what he told us last January at the Cebu Country Club. We'll, he's got one more day to change his mind. In the meantime, sit back, relax, and enjoy the circus called Philippine politics!

*  *  *

Incidentally, exactly a week ago last Wednesday, there was a Freeman report where Calamba Barangay Captain Maria Yvonne Cania-Feliciano have asked the DPWH to act on encroaching shops along V-Rama Ave. and to strictly enforce Presidential Decree No. 17 otherwise known as the Revised Philippine Highways Act.

I totally agree that that encroachment is a serious problem here in Cebu City. But not just in V-Rama Ave. I dare you drive to Villalon Drive from the Provincial Capitol building up to Capitol Hills and you will notice that whatever little sidewalk is left has been taken over by shops and stores for their own private purposes, while the pedestrian has no choice but to walk along the streets.

If you are in Beverly Hills and as you go down to Lahug, you will pass by the Doña Modesta Gaisano Bridge and if the DPWH officials do not know, stores and shops have all but used the fence of this bridge for their respective business and if you are looking at the sidewalk… you won't see anything. In my book, if traffic is bad along that area, it is because of encroachment. Supposedly there should be certain meters from the riverbank of Lahug and the road that should have no buildings allowed.

If this is happening to us in Cebu City for decades now and because no one has the political will to fix this problem, we will never see the day when the chaos in that area would end. Right now, Habal-habals rule the road on both sides, making the exit of this bridge so narrow. Perhaps we should throw this issue to Mayor Michael Rama and ask the same question to his challenger, former Mayor Tomas Osmeña -- how would you solve the problem along that bridge?

*  *  *

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