Politics used to be an honorable word but the politicians made it dirty. Politics was a means to achieve noble ends, to lead people in the democratic pursuit of making the nation better, the people happier, and the government a more effective instrument for peace, justice, and prosperity. Today, politics is a means to commit plunder, steal public funds by conspiracy among political dynasties, led by shameless trapos who rose to power by buying votes, corrupting the system, and conniving with foreign powers.
During the golden years, in America, when one mentioned the word "politics", the Americans would call to mind such illustrious statesmen as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and later, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter. Now, politics is identified with Donald Trump, a twice-impeached, many times-convicted and notorious racist. A misogynist who does not believe in diversity, inclusiveness, and equity. The American voters have chosen a man who declared to become a dictator on his first day in office, who admires Hitler, Putin, and Xi Jinping. He hates immigrants including Asians, Mexicans, and his people call Puerto Rico an island of garbage.
In the Philippines, we have had such honorable political leaders as Manuel L. Quezon, Sergio Osmeña Sr., Ramon Magsaysay, Carlos P. Garcia, and Diosdado Macapagal. They were men who made great sacrifices serving the government and the people. They never stole money from public funds. They never asked their wives, children, or grandchildren to run for public office during their incumbency. They did not use their powers in order to enrich themselves and protect their business empires. They did not rise to high positions by the power of guns, goons, and terrorism. They never used money to buy votes and never sold juicy positions to business leaders who corrupt the government agencies.
During our own golden years of Philippine politics, we have had some really brilliant and nationalistic senators who gave honor to the Philippine Senate and made the legislature a means to make policies that promote general welfare, There were truly eminent, learned, and patriotic leaders like Claro M. Recto, Lorenzo Tañada, Quintin Paredes, Jose P. Laurel, Juan Liwag, Camilo Osias, Mariano Jesus Cuenco, and later such stalwarts as Arturo Tolentino, Ambrocio Padilla, Jovito Salonga, Jose W. Diokno, Ramon Mitra, Raul Manglapus, Francisco Rodrigo, and Benigno Aquino Jr. There were truly amazing female senators like Geronima Pecson, Maria Kalaw Katigbak, Eva Estrada Kalaw, Tecla San Andres Ziga, Helen Benitez, Magnolia Antonino, Leticia Ramos Shahani and, of course, Miriam Defensor Santiago.
Today, we have a former prisoner who was convicted and incarcerated in Muntinlupa sitting in the august hall where Claro M. Recto used to preside. We have senators who were charged with plunder with Janet Napoles and who are now sitting as investigators of lesser men and women charged with less serious crimes. We have senators who continue their careers as movie actors and TV hosts all the while getting salaries and allowances as members of the Philippine Senate. We used to have many basketball players who landed in the Senate not because they know how to legislate but because of sheer popularity. We have boxers, comedians, and action stars who aspire to become legislators, and there are high risks of them winning.
In Cebu, we used to have very distinguished members of the Senate, like Don Filemon and Don Vicente Sotto, Don Sergio Osmeña Sr., Manuel Briones, Mariano Jesus Cuenco, and later Sergio Osmeña Jr., John H Osmeña, Serge Osmeña, Marcelo Fernan, and Ernesto Herrera. Today, we do not even have one in that august body.
Good people do not want to go into politics anymore. The ones who have personal and business agenda are dominating the government, with very few exceptions, of course. Politics is now a dirty word and good men and women do not want to be tainted by it.