What the Midterm Elections say about us

When you think about it, almost everyone wants an intelligent leader: someone who went to college, got an M.A. a PhD, or had postdoctoral studies. And in some cases, since we’re talking about politics, someone who knows the law; a lawyer perhaps, a political science or economics graduate or had an M.A. or PhD in those subjects. We want someone who’s got a firm and solid educational background because we all know what happened when a certain high school dropout went into power but got toppled. Having someone like that wasn’t good and nor would it look any better had we elected someone like him again. Be it local or national, everyone wants a leader who knows how to wield the power that comes along with the responsibility of governance.

As of May 22, 2007 at 10:58 am, NAMFREL had the following results for the Senatorial Elections:
1. Legarda, Loren
2. Escudero, Chiz
3. Lacson, Ping
4. Villar, Manny
5. Pangilinan, Kiko
6. Aquino, Noynoy
7. Angara, Ed
8. Honasan, Gringo
9. Cayetano, Peter
10. Trillanes, Sonny
11. Arroyo, Joker
12. Pimentel, Koko
13. Zubiri, Migz
14. Recto, Ralph
15. Defensor, Mike

I find it surprising that Sonny “Magdalo” Trillanes would constantly be in the Magic 12. To begin with, he was reported to have used only 7 million for his nationwide campaign (most of his funds were donated by friends and supporters), he didn’t have the opportunity to campaign personally and, let’s not forget, he’s still locked up in jail and is facing court martial charges. The way I see it, even if he didn’t have the funds and the chance to mount monumental campaigns like those of Pichay’s or Villar’s, his exposure came from his brawl with PGMA in the Oakwood Mutiny years back. Do his votes directly translate the people’s animosity towards PGMA? I think so, yes. Most, if not all, see Trillanes as a ray of light against the unano’s black backdrop. We see in him a hero of some sorts and we just can’t help but vote for him because he comes to us clean and incorruptible.

Another shock for me was Fr. Ed Panlilio’s victory in Pampanga. Though the constitution states a strict separation of the Church and the Government, his win cannot be considered a violation of this rule. Well at least for the Kapampangas it’s not. I like what Conrado de Quiros said about choosing between Evil and Less Evil candidates, and never between Good and Evil. Well in Panlilio’s case, Good vs. Evil finally happened and made such an impact that the province did some kind of a People Power Revolution. If you think about it, the people of Pampanga were made to choose from (1) someone who had an intimate relationship with a Jueteng Lord, (2) someone who pocketed the Government’s money on quarrying issues and (3) someone who was a total novice at politics but had the heart and belief in God to compensate for his being a newbie. Now, if you were to vote, whom would you go for? I’d choose candidate No. 3.

At least one event that didn’t shock me was Binay’s landslide victory over Lapid. In his win in Makati, he proved several things: (1) Makati doesn’t like outsiders, (2) we (I say we since I’m from Makati) prefer someone who can do the job, and (3) we don’t need someone who acts like a politician. In one of Binay’s interviews, he said that he doesn’t mock Lapid for not being able to proficiently speak English. Binay, who came from a poor family, said that, “Education has always been the best social equalizer.” He said that he willed himself to study and learn despite the odds. So in the end, education and experience still counts.

What do these events mean? Despite the in-your-face cheating in Maguindanao (which the administration still denies), the (some) people have matured. We’ve become rational instead because we want someone who is GOOD, not the lesser evil we’ve all been accustomed to. Having good education doesn’t always translate to being a GOOD person. A good example would be Miriam Santiago who, despite being a bar topnotcher, a Harvard and UP graduate, is balimbing. Another is GMA herself and Marcos. Although education is good, it doesn’t guarantee a pure heart. On the other hand, having a pure heart doesn’t translate to winning a senatorial race. Take for example the Kapatiran candidates, Bautista, Paredes and Sison, who clamors for a God-centered politics. Let’s be honest, to win a moral battle means having a solid machinery to back you up.

So, what do we want: someone evil but with good education or someone good with a so-so education? If we could strike a balance between being intelligent and GOOD, then I guess our country will be in safe hands. Question is, do we have a sufficient number of politicians with these criteria?