Wednesday, July 23, 2008

"The Timidity of Hope"

The Inquirer editorial today took exception with the pronouncements of a young politician who got 18 million votes in the last election. Excerpts from “The Timidity of Hope”:

“With 2010—and beyond—dancing before their eyes, politicians have taken to courting the youth. No one has been better at it than Sen. Francis Escudero, who has in many ways presented himself as the incarnation of what Barack Obama has called “the audacity of hope.” But it must be asked if its Philippine version isn’t the exact opposite, for we are troubled by the mixed messages Escudero has been sending out.

Referring to the present dispensation and his political plans, Escudero has said, “We have already suffered and sacrificed for seven years, what is two years?” This is a cunning statement, at once reinforcing his opposition credentials while paving the way to give the present suspects a free pass should they relinquish power.

He laid the predicate for this some weeks back when he said: “GMA [President Arroyo] is not running in 2010, and it would be unfair to the people if presidential candidates should still use her as an issue. Any candidate who runs on an anti-GMA platform is insulting the intelligence of the people. The people will vote for a presidential candidate because of what he or she intends to do if victorious, not because he or she is against GMA.”

This is taking the high road to enable the highwaymen to escape. It ignores the demand of the studentry in recent months both for accountability and for democratic processes to function. It is being said, however, in such a seductive way as to disguise not just political pragmatism, but opportunism. Escudero has been making these statements in the context of administration coalition overtures to his party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), and talk of administration support for an NPC presidential and vice-presidential slate on which Escudero might possibly star.

So young—and so out of touch?”

But what do we expect to come out of a system that emphasizes superficial qualities and celebrates people who achieve their goals through sheer ambition and self-interest? Our country has come to a crossroads, those who can, flee, while those who can lord it over the unfortunate masses engage in an elaborate charade that belies a democratic form of governance.

Nothing can be further from reality. We are not talking about Republicans and Democrats here. It is every selfish interest against everyone’s else. Ideals and principles have long been cast aside. We have masters who tell us everything we want to hear.

Examine the credentials of all these poseurs. You rise when you compromise. Can we anticipate real and lasting change from a stable of non-performers? Just look at the desperate mess we find ourselves, mainly out of the faith and trust we have historically assigned to all these promising politicians. We must learn to properly evaluate results and effects.

10,000 miles away, I think of all the time and treasure spent in futile deliberation and discussion by all these powerful and potent players in ornate chambers and session halls amid a sea of squalor and poverty and yes, hopelessness.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's an insult to the American dominant political parties with clear ideological distinction as opposed to the party system in the Philippines separated by personal loyalty and vested interest with no ideology to speak of.

Wala na bang kahihiyan itong batang politikong ito to even have the audacity to compare himself with Barack Obama?

Barack Obama he is definitely NOT.... will someone slap the guy silly and maybe he will come to his senses and out of his deluded fertile fairy tail errr tale dream......

Anonymous said...

Good doctor, you wrote, "But what do we expect to come out of a system that emphasizes superficial qualities and celebrates people who achieve their goals through sheer ambition and self-interest?"

I think that sentence about describes your adopted country, USA!!!

I think I will quote it often the next year.

ron

pian said...

Chiz E is simply a young trapo. He didn't do anything significant in the House except rename. But he became a Senator because he knows he only had to make a noise. That's how a professional trapo he is.

pian said...

TO AZRON
But then again, the good doctor came back, when he could have chosen to stay. So what are you insinuating about sheer ambition and interest?

Bonedoc said...

Good take!
I've been quite following the young senator's great potential(and credibility so to speak)...remain a potential besides riding noises. He must have been swallowed by his popularity.
Take a look at what he accomplished in the congress and in the senate....

Anonymous said...

i happen to like chiz when he was running for senator. but after some time, its like he's got nothing else going for him other than thrashing the government. shouldn't he be bragging about laws that he's passed instead of constantly pursuing a word war with the government? he's all talk and no action. sooner or later i might end up hating him too. his success is hugely based on his being anti-pgma and thats it. what laws has he passed? im not aware of any. please tell me if you guys do know of some. thanks ;)

are you giddy about the SONA on monday sir? more pgma,more fun di ba po? :)

Anonymous said...

During his three terms at the House of Representatives, three of his bills became into law:
HB 6002 - An Act to Regulate the Practice of Veterinary Medicine in the Philippines, Repealing for the Purpose Republic Act 382 and for other purposes R.A. 9268 - THE PHILIPPINE VETERINARY MEDICINE ACT OF 2004
HB 10732 - An Act Rationalizing the Organizational and Management Structure of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, and Renaming it as the Department of Education, and for other purposes. R.A. 9155 - GOVERNANCE OF BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2001
HB 3046 - An Act Institutionalizing Early Childhood Development and Education Centers for Children Aged Zero to Five, Creating the Implementing Machinery thereof, providing guidelines, incentives, government financial support and technical assistance, and for other purposes. R.A. 8980 - The Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Act of 2000

Escudero authored 34 bills of national application, 31 bills of local application and 15 resolutions in the House of Representatives.
Source: Philippine Senate

Anonymous said...

It is very easy to judge rising politicians like Escudero, discriminating them from the larger picture of a pathetic Philippine politics. Philippine politics remains the old school of patronage, now getting worse into the domain of showbiz personalities. To succeed in elections, one has to play the cards of popularity and "pogi" points, areas that Chiz as well as Migz Zubiri had banked on in the last election. Should we educate and empower the electorate more? Absolutely. It's a question of how and who are educating them, the cousin question of: who are insulting or manipulating their intelligence every election?

pian said...

TO ANONYMOUS
I didn't say Chiz E didn't perform in the House. I only said he UNDERperformed in the House. What would you expect, he's been in the House for years. But ask the voters, and they elected him in the Senate purely because they remembered him who made noise, he knows that this would only be what it takes to make it in the Senate, and that's what he did. Certainly a young trapo.

Danton Remoto said...

hello doctor martin, danton remoto here. thank you for your kind comments in my blog.

please return to the philippines and run again for senator, under a bigger political party.

we need clean, honest, and bright people like you.

cheers.