Political Dynasties, Nuisance Candidates, and the Illusion of Choice

What can be said about political dynasties that has not already been said? Political dynasties are the bane of Philippine politics. What you end up with is families lording it over their territories for generations which imbues a sense of entitlement. See the Marcoses in Ilocos Norte. Simply because one family runs an area does not mean that that family is corrupt. But it certainly paints a picture of corruption. There is a reason why nepotism has been rejected in many other nations. Filipinos seem to not understand the appearance of  impropriety is just as important to avoid as impropriety itself.

This latest story exemplifies dynastic politics in the Philippines. Its import is that it involves a family that is not well known, at least at the national level. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143204

Vice Mayor Lino Montilla has officially assumed as the city mayor here on Wednesday afternoon.

Montilla filled the vacancy left by his elder brother, Mayor Angelo, who passed away on June 6.

Vice Mayor Montilla’s assumption to the mayoralty post complies with Section 44 of the Local Government Code stating that “if a permanent vacancy occurs in the office of the governor or mayor, the vice governor or vice mayor concerned shall become the governor or mayor.”

Meanwhile, based on the same provision, Sangguniang Panlungsod Member Lalaine Montilla, Lino's wife, being the councilor with the highest number of votes in the 2019 elections, subsequently took her oath of office as the new vice mayor.

The couple vowed to pursue the primary dream of the late mayor for Tacurong City, which is improving the lives of all its constituents.

While their appointment is legal one has to ask if this acceptable. First it was two brothers ruling a city now its husband-wife duo. Isko Moreno got a lot of slack for saying that government positions are not inherited.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1441516/another-duterte-for-president-i-dont-believe-govt-position-is-inherited-isko

(In a democracy, it is the people who choose. You cannot force your relatives to succeed you. I do not believe that and I am not going to vote for that as a voter and I disagree as a citizen of this country.)

Moreno's sentiment is right but practically speaking he is dead wrong. The fact is that the parties choose who will run for every office be it barangay captain or president. Not just anyone can run. Candidates submit their candidacy to the COMELEC and they weed out those who they think should not be running. These people are called "nuisance candidates."

https://www.manilatimes.net/2015/10/18/news/top-stories/comelec-starts-weeding-out-nuisance-candidates/224483

The arduous task of weeding out nuisance candidates will be the next focus of the commission, two days after it stopped accepting certificates of candidacy (COC) from thousands of candidates aspiring for the more than 18,000 elective posts nationwide.

As of Friday, there were 130 presidential wannabes. Nineteen filed their COC for Vice President while 172 others were seeking a Senate seat.

Imagine 130 people running for president. And why shouldn't they? If they can pay the fees and file the paper work why shouldn't they? Don't we hear time and again about how this is a Democracy (it's actually a Republic)? Can you guess what determines who is and who is not a nuisance candidate?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/731218/comelec-reiterates-rules-on-nuisance-candidates

Citing the Omnibus Election Code, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez told the media that the poll body has the authority to reject the certificates of candidacy (COC) of individuals who fall under three categories:

1. Those who make a mockery of the election system;
2. Those who seek to confuse voters through similarity of names between candidates; and
3. Those who have no bona fide or good faith in running for office.

(These would include candidates who, I suppose, fall outside of reasonableness.) 

“There are also some questions to the ability of the candidates to conduct national campaigns. Nuisance refers to the candidacy, not the individual—’yung kandidatura na makakagulo lamang sa kabuuang proseso (the candidacy that would disrupt the whole process),” Jimenez said.

Sorry, but it is impossible to separate the candidacy from the individual. Number one on this list is a catch-all that should disqualify practically every single person in the government, espeically the House and Senate. I am looking at Bato, Go, Pacquiao, Sotto, and every other entertainer and dynasty candidate such as the Cayetanos.  All of those people make a mockery of the Philippine election system as they run on pure vanity and name recognition not on statesmanship. Are there any statesmen left in this world? Not in the Philippines, thats for sure.

So, what's the point here? The problem is that Filipinos are left with the illusion of choice. Since the parties choose their candidates and the COMELEC decides who is and who is not a worthy candidate, the public lies at the whims of the parties and the COMELEC. It's all good and well to descry political dynasties but the public is really impotent to do anything about them. They go to the voting booth and have to choose between the names on the list they are given. This why Senator Lacson's advice to Filipinos to choose firm and fair leaders is disingenuous.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1458038/most-serious-polls-voters-must-choose-leader-whos-not-selective-vs-corruption-lacson

In selecting the country’s next leaders wisely, the senator said voters must consider current problems and issues hounding the country.

“This is serious, very serious especially because of the pandemic. I think the decision we will make in 2022 is the most serious and important decision we all have to make and we should really think carefully,” Lacson said.

As voters have no say in the matter of who is on the ballot Lacson should address his remarks to the parties who actually choose the candidates. Lacson knows how the system works yet he chooses to push the line about choice despite Filipinos having no real choice at all. But the parties don't care about the people. They only care about their agenda while wrapping it all in the guise of being for the people.

Political dynasties are entrenched in the fabric of public and political life. These families have large networks and access to funds that no-namers do not. This gives them the advantage. What's the solution? I am of the opinion that there is no solution. To unwind dynasties from public life would take several generations and a public will that just does not exist in the Philippines. There is a lot of talk against political dynasties but honestly there is nothing practical that can be done to combat them as long as the parties continue to choose them as their candidates.