RP politics: Theater of the absurd

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Asia News Network, Manila

Philippine politics is the theater of the absurd.

Where in the world can you find a country where the leading candidate for president (according to the latest surveys) is a high school dropout with no experience in government and public administration?

Where in the world can you find a country where the most important factor in choosing candidates for the highest positions in the land is popularity and not competence or experience or educational background?

Where in the world can you find a country where candidates for public office switch parties as easily as they change their everyday clothes? Where opportunism, and not adherence to principles, is the rule in running for public office?

Where in the world can you find a country where the election campaign is transformed into a circus, stage show and snake-oil salesman's pitch all rolled into one? The election period is the time when most candidates, in their effort to win votes, will make fools of themselves, delivering repetitive speeches, singing off key, dancing with two left feet and resorting to various gimmicks to strengthen name recall.

Philippine politics is amusing-and confusing. Confusing was the word used by Representative Imee Marcos to describe the political situation when she dropped out of the opposition's senatorial slate. To one who is not used to the twists and turns and absurdities of Philippine politics, the recent developments will truly be confusing.

Senator Loren Legarda was supposed to have promoted unity when she joined Fernando Poe Jr.'s ticket of reconciliation. To the contrary, her presence in the ticket is promoting disunity and discord. Joseph Estrada's loyalists are rejecting her. Former senator Miriam Defensor cannot abide her presence and was last reported to be joining the administration ticket. What? A staunch defender of Estrada joining the slate of the person that replaced him?

Others who have performed political somersaults are oppositionist Senator John Osmeqa and Estradas' defense secretary, Orlando Mercado, who are joining the administration's senatorial ticket; and former senator Ernesto Herrera, co-author of the impeachment complaint against Estrada, who has joined the opposition ticket that Estrada is expected to endorse.

Senator Rodolfo Biazon is performing a double somersault (it would earn him extra points if this were a gymnastic contest, or applause if this were a circus), first saying that he was joining Raul Roco's ticket and now jumping over to the administration slate. Intriguing? Confusing? Amusing? Or all of the above?

Now let's look at the presidential candidates. There's the incumbent President who has performed more policy flip-flops than a gymnast or acrobat, all in the name of political expediency. She has also been tainted with charges of corruption.

There's the movie actor, a high school dropout who has had no experience in government and politics and who has so far not given a hint about his program of government.

There's the former chief of the Philippine National Police, one of the junior enforcers of the martial-law regime, who faces some human rights cases, including the Kuratong Baleleng massacre case. And there's the former senator and former education secretary, a lawyer and intellectual, who is losing credibility and supporters because of his failure to present a credible running mate and a full senatorial ticket. He is said to be the "lesser evil" or the "least evil" of the four candidates.

Have we come to this, that we have to choose "the least evil" and not the best and the brightest from a field of the worthiest representatives of the Filipino race?

In about a month, the big show will begin. Or, to use another metaphor, the barrier at the starting gate will be lifted, and the candidates will be off and running. This is a race not for the faint of heart or for one weak in organization or short of funds.

Money -- lots of it -- can help insure victory at the polls. One of the great absurdities of the presidential race is that candidates will be spending hundreds of millions, even billions, of pesos to occupy for six years a position that pays only 50,000 pesos a month. How will the winner recoup the amount spent, or repay his or her major contributors?

But in this big show, the last laugh will always be on the spectators. In this theater of the absurd, it seems that it is always the audience (read: The people) who will ultimately pay for it all. In terms of political and moral compromises that will be made and in terms of toleration of the culture of corruption.