EACH election season in the Philippines finds traditional politicians scrambling to belong to the administration party, which is now the Libertal Party (LP). Right now in the province of Iloilo, for instance, we witness a brewing battle of clans among the Defensors, the Tupases and the Garins over who would be the party’s official candidate for vice governor.
Niel Tupas Jr. having been “anointed” to be running mate of re-electionist governor Arthur Defensor Sr., former congressman Oscar Garin yesterday threatened to field one of his daughters against him.
This is not the way it used to be in the pre-martial law days when the two-party system determined the course of democracy. Win or lose, politicians belonged to either the Liberal or Nacionalista parties. Tradition dictated party loyalty. Leap-frogging to the other party would earn the doer the derogatory tag “turncoat” or “political butterfly.”
The President was either a Nacionalista or Liberal party man. The party of the losing presidential candidate remained intact, hence always in the role of efficient fiscalizer.
Martial law enabled the dictator, President Ferdinand Marcos, to destroy that system and shift to the multi-party system, which ironically empowered only the party in power. In his time, it was the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL).
The so-called “People Power Revolution” that installed President Cory Aquino in 1986 saw the birth of Lakas ng Bayan (Laban). This evolved into Lakas-National Union of Christian Democrats (Lakas-NUCD) during President Fidel Ramos’ time. President Joseph Estrada won under the banner of Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP); Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD); and Benigno Aquino III, Liberal Party (LP) in coalition with other parties.
Candidates today hop from one political party to another or even form their own when their party does not support them. This is a drawback because it breeds disunity and hostility among potential leaders.
The restoration of the two-party system in the country would restore order in the selection of official candidates. Official candidates would be chosen in national or local conventions. No single candidate could belong to two or more parties. And no two party mates could compete for one position. Incidentally, there are now three senators within the Nacionalista Party who are vying for the position of vice president, namely, Alan Peter Cayetano, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Antonio Trillanes 4th.
Incumbent but “non-graduating” senators or other elective officials seeking another position, incidentally, used to be prohibited under the old Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines or Batas Pambansa 881. Any such official would be considered resigned from his office upon filing of his certificated of candidacy.
But now we have Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero running for president and vice president in 2016, respectively. Elected in 2013, they could stay in the Senate until 2019 should they lose.