Consumers Domain
By Ian Seruelo

Death by patronage politics

“Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.”

—Paul Valery

Death by patronage politics. This is the autopsy report on the killing of the impeachment proceedings in Congress. Though this murder is an expected event, it remains a ghastly sight that sure gives this mixed feeling of anger, disbelief and hopelessness to any thinking Filipino.

That day was a sad day for the Filipinos except perhaps for Gloria and allies. Once again we have confirmed that this sick system of ours is inflicted with a deep-rooted disease called elite democracy characterized by this dirty politics of patronage.

The Lower House of Congress that many would address as an “august body” has decided to hide the truth because of some damned technicalities and legalese talk! I always wonder what is so august and dignified about this group of brainless selfish crocodiles.

It is clear that in spirit, what the Constitution disallows is the initiation of more than one impeachment proceedings against a President in a year not more than one act of filing. This is a clause that clearly sought to ensure that the incumbent President of the Republic would not be facing two or more impeachment cases in one year so he/she can focus on his/her job as the executive among others. This provision, which ought to protect the President from undue political harassment, was utilized and manipulated by these intelligent Congress Representatives to shield Gloria from being accountable to the people.

Let us go back to the very essence of all these events so we can begin to reexamine the depth of deceit and arrogance of Gloria and her group of trapo. The story is so simple – the President was caught on tape asking a COMELEC official to ensure her victory in several creative ways while the canvassing was ongoing; a political crisis erupts and the president admits the “lapse in judgment”; tantamount to admitting to massive cheating, people calls for her ouster or resignation; the president as well as other sectors ask a legal and constitutional venue for her to answer the charges; the impeachment process was initiated only to be muddled and eventually killed by the president and her allies in Congress.

Then this arrogant President has the nerve to call what happened in Congress as a “grand display of political maturity”! What political maturity is she saying when the spirit of the Constitution and the interest of the country was subverted to her narrow political interest?

Is there political maturity among the members of the majority when they blindly toed the party line despite of the hard facts and evidences that there was a clear breach of the constitution and grave violation of election rules?

Is there political maturity in one voting against the impeachment because Malacañang ensured the immediate release of one's pork barrel funds as in the case of Bulacan Representative Pedro Pancho?

Is there political maturity in the case of Caloocan City Representative Luis Asistio when he left for the US to avoid participating in the plenary despite the fact that he has signed the amended impeachment complaint earlier? Whatever was offered to him by Malacañang, no one knows.

Is there political maturity, in the case of Ilocos Norte Representative Imee Marcos who despite her media pronouncements and her leadership in the pro-impeachment bloc suddenly was a no-show during the votation? Well, we just hope that there is no truth to the story that this was due to a deal with the administration that her dictator father will be allowed to be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

To Gloria and all really bright boys and girls in Congress, can you please sit down, think and try to discern things so you may distinguish principled mature politics from patronage politics.

(For comments and reactions send SMS to 0919-348-6337 or email to ianseruelo@yahoo.com.)