How to know ourselves properly

The Supreme Court decision declaring that 10 big urban poor barangays of Makati are actually components of the territory of Taguig have exposed once again the spectacle of how political dynasties control the politics, the economy and even the social and cultural lives of Filipinos. We are the only democracy ruled by family dynasties.

We have a Senate with two Cayetano siblings, two Estrada/Ejercito brothers, and a mother and son. Had Jojo Binay made it to the last senatorial polls, we would have had two Binays, father and son, Makati’s answer to Las Pinas’ mom and son. The tiny cities of Las Piñas, Taguig, and San Juan are overrepresented while the five-million strong people of Cebu and other huge cities have zero. We are the laughing stock in the Asia-Pacific and the world. All over the country, many towns have husbands and wives as mayors and vice mayors, children as kagawads and grandchildren and in-laws as barangay and SK officials. These people think the Philippines is their family corporation and each LGU as their family hacienda, and the people as their vassals, tenants, serfs, and slaves. Is this our version of a democracy?

The Binays were unknown in politics until Jojo Binay was appointed by President Cory in 1986 as OIC mayor of Makati, ousting the long-entrenched dynasty of Nemesio Yabut, allied with the Marcoses for more than 20 years. Jojo was Makati mayor from 1986 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2010. He became vice president from 2010 to 2016. His wife, Dr. Elenita Binay became mayor from 1998 to 2001. Maria Lourdes “Nancy” Binay became a senator, out of nowhere from 2013 to the present. Abigail “Abby” Binay became mayor from 2016 to the present. She was representative of the 2nd District from 2007 to 2016. Abby’s husband, Luis Jose Campos is congressman of that district, although we never hear a word from him. Junjun Binay, the son, was mayor from 2010 to 2015, councilor from 2001 to 2010, and SK chairman from 1992 to 2001.

The Cayetanos were also unknown until the late Rene Cayetano’s practice of law in the law firm of Juan Ponce Enrile became popular with a radio program making him the “Pambansang Compañero”. He was in the Senate from 1998 to 2003. His daughter Pia was elected senator from 2004 to 2016, congresswoman of the 2nd District of Taguig from 2016 to 2019, then senator again from 2016 to the present. Alan Peter was elected senator from 2007 to 2017, and from 2022 to the present. He was congressman from 1998 to 2007 and from 2019 to 2022 during which he was elected speaker of the House. He started as a councilor from 1992 to 1995. His wife Lani was congresswoman from 2007 to 2010 and from 2019 to 2022. She was mayor from 2010 to 2019 and from 2022 to present. Lino was mayor from 2019 to 2022 and congressman from 2013 to 2016. Rennen was councilor of Muntinlupa from 2001 to 2007. Their turfs include Taguig, Pateros, and Muntinlupa, but the center is in Taguig with Fort Bonifacio as its crown jewel.

In terms of professionalism and career, people choose the Cayetanos over the Binays. The Cayetanos were better lawyers and are products of UP and Ateneo, identified with the elite and corporate world. Rene Cayetano was a successful lawyer for big firms in Makati. Their mom, Sandra Schramm was an American from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She was the daughter of Rene’s landlady when he was pursuing his master’s degree in Law at the University of Michigan. Sandra was a businesswoman, she owned the Ann Arbor Montessori in BF Homes Parañaque. On the other hand, Jojo Binay was a human rights lawyer under the tutelage of Senator Jose W. Diokno. He was a MABINI lawyer who fought Marcos and martial law during which he was arrested and detained. He was close to Cory in the fight against Marcos.

If we really think about it, the Binays used to be pro-people, pro-labor, and pro-poor. The Cayetanos have always been pro-business, pro-development, and pro-liberalization. But under current circumstances, both Binays and Cayetanos are nothing but trapos and perpetrators of family dynasties. The systems of patronage politics have all compromised their values. They need to be replaced by genuine leaders who have respect for true democracy and should abhor political dynasties in any form. Both dynasties should go back to where they were before EDSA and let other people lead.