PUNDITS and politicians alike agree on one thing after the late former President Noynoy Aquino passed away: politics in the country would never be same. The Greek philosopher Herraclitus noted that one doesn’t step into the same river twice.
Noynoy’s death has changed the political river, or its current flow. And, to each his own. The opposition says it will boost its chances in the 2022 polls. There are those who caution against over-optimism; it’s too early to say. In the meantime, the ruling party PDP-Laban is starting to unravel. Sen. Koko Pimentel fears a party implosion — like a star collapsing inward into a blackhole by its own gravity that even light cannot escape—in the offing.
With President Duterte and Sen. Manny Pacquiao butting heads over corruption issues in the current administration, Liberal Party stalwart Sen. Frank Drilon may be quietly applauding the leaders’ public quarrel. It can only be good for the opposition in the coming elections, he says.
But, as the days go by while a good part of the nation mourns the passing of a good leader, what’s shaping up appears to be more like the bright – and – gloom opening paragraph in Charles Dickens’ ‘A Tale of Two Cities’.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of disbelief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way,”
The opposition, especially the Liberal Party, cannot hope to capitalize on Noynoy’s death like it did when his father Ninoy was assassinated at the Manila airport tarmac in 1983. It was a perfect storm that blew away the Marcos dictatorship for good. Compared to Ninoy’s martyrdom, Noynoy’s was the silence of a lamb against the crying of another wolf.
Silence is never a virtue in the modern politics of social media. The belated revelations of Noynoy’s sterling achievements in six years as another Aquino president did not wash over his vivid failures that resulted in his people’s deep, massive disenchantment for such tragic incidents as the Luneta hostage- taking and the Mamasapano debacle, particularly his glaring absence at the airport when the remains of the dead soldiers arrived.
Filipinos, who are known to easily forgive, may genuinely continue to mourn his untimely death. But they could still harbor the same feeling of frustration over his apparent leadership missteps. The wound may be healed, but the scars are there. In other words, his death may not necessarily mean an automatic vote for the opposition. In fact, the current opposition is still struggling to shape up, particularly as the nation moves toward the 2022 elections. Disenchantment may be the unspoken factor. Many of those invited as prospective nominees for president and vice president under the 1Sambayan had begged off, for one reason or another. Vice President Leni Robredo hasn’t made up her mind yet about running for the top post.
Nor is the ruling PDP-Laban in top ,fighting form. The Duterte-Pacquiao spat over corruption issues is only one sign of yet unseen cracks that may potentially divide the house. For any politician eyeing an elected post in 2022, being an administration or opposition candidate may not necessarily ensure victory. Pacquiao’s allegation doesn’t hurt the Duterte loyalists alone; it implies that some erstwhile members of the opposition now in the administration may also be stained.
What looms ahead as a critical and even decisive factor in the coming polls could be the local parties whom the ruling party or the opposition will need to boost their winning chances. The internal problems they are facing now potentially can only worsen in the days ahead. Pacquiao has crossed the line, which might as well be the Rubicon. Bongbong Marcos is still keeping his cards close to his chest. Duterte wants a successor who will protect him from possible legal actions due to his war on drugs, even pronouncements over the South China Sea issue. The 1Sambayan and Liberal Party are still in the process of looking out for Number One.
In the meantime, the pandemic is still upsetting the apple cart. Vaccination is still at a slow pace, despite the claims of more vaccines coming . The economy is still hobbled by the virus attack and its poor handling by government. Poverty still remains a serious problem in the lands. Public cynicism can only drive people to be more pragmatic than idealistic, especially about political choices. As the Chabacanos love to say, mejor una paloma en el mano, que ciento volando. A bird in hand is better than hundred flying. Mas maigit ya ing tuyo, the old Kapampangan advice says, keng sula-sulapo pugo.
The oft-quoted maxim that all politics is local will be the oxygen of the local parties in the absence of a token, if not non- existent, opposition and a weak administration with a lame duck leader encumbered by myriad issues ranging from political to legal, not to mention health.
In Pampanga, the Pineda-ruled Kambilan Party may flaunt its strength in people and machinery to support any national or local candidate. It’s a formidable advantage for any local bet.
Outgoing Third District Board Member Rosve Henson, who has announced his plan to run for mayoralty of the City of San Fernando, may really be in luck this time around. He expressed sadness for Noynoy’s death during his press meet. But, on the other hand….
