When political activity strikes

Given the benefit of trust, let’s just say every politician has a dream not only for himself but for the people. It may be too good to be true during a campaign but a big challenge during implementation. But how much time does a politician need to realize his dream for the nation? Is term limit extension, political dynasty, or keeping up political color in legislature, a win-win solution?

Everyone who dares to win the Filipinos’ hearts would surely say they want unity in the Republic of the Philippines. One dream, one goal, one change, and one direction. But how much time does it take to bring the Philippines in one direction? Are we still heading in the direction of Emilio Aguinaldo, Manuel L. Quezon, Sergio Osmeña, and the previous leaders of this nation? It seems like we are living from one unfinished dream to another unfinished dream.

In the eyes of a businessman, perhaps linkages between politics and business play an essential role with one another. Some politicians take advantage of this relationship for the benefit of the many while some take this as a chance to earn more. If this linkage brings out money matters on the politician’s side in order to finance a project, is three terms or six terms enough to grow a fund and pay a government’s debt, for example? If a good investment takes a long term, does it reflect the idea that a leader’s term must also be long enough to minimize a debt and to finish a project?

Imagine a better governance heading toward a beautiful dream. Each year or quarter takes a challenging process to maintain and to realize goals for the nation. However, the end of term comes, projects have not yet been fully realized, and now a newly elected president, an opposition, sits on the throne and the project stops. Is this how politics in general works or is it only that way here in the Philippines? One unfinished dream to another unfinished one.

A nation's dream must not be according to a leader’s interest but of the citizens. A man said that the problem of our leaders this time is that a project which is not on the opposition’s list must be denied and no longer be supported by the next incumbent. If this becomes a political culture, how can we arrive then in one direction when there are other diverging roads among the leaders? How clear is the Philippine's dream when there are relative directions after every term? There would be no clear direction when political activity strikes governance.

John Caballes

Cebu City