Politics should unite, not divide us

By Jun Velasco

AT a birthday bash of a friend (Edwin Mendaros), a Jesuit scholar who looked like Alex Benedicto, deputy secretary general of the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas, cracked a joke that elicited lusty laughter from the audience.

Actually, Alex, who  had practically  gone around the world as  a researcher and Grameen Bank executive in Africa, South America and the Scandinavian countries, was quoting another  friend  who suggested that if the Philippines should be liberated from all that  crap that  ails it, then  it was necessary  that all its   top  4,000 officials from the President down should be shot  dead,  and give its   top 500-man economic elite  72 hours  to “reform” or   die, too..

The  proponent must  have lost his mind, we thought.  Elections? Bah!  Charter change? Bull! Character change? “How, how the carabao, batutin?

Everything is “tell that to the marines” syndrome.

Frankly, every bright, brilliant, creative, radical, reformist, revolutionary, soulful idea, scheme, plan, program, blueprint, and every what-have-you  solution   has been put forward,  and   we are always  pushed back to square one.

Times there are when in the realm of a futile  exercise  we take the existentialist’s  path   such as   Albert Camus’ absurd world, but  our Christian moorings won’t  allow it, and so we   take refuge in the lighter side  and  hum an old  song, “I can laugh when things aren’t  funny, ha ha ha.”

We are not hopeless. Otherwise, we betray the rationale of life, which is a gift from God.

Hope springs eternal. Salvation, victory, heaven go to the faithful who won’t budge amidst all perilous waters and every imaginable storm of life.

In less than two months, we shall have elections. Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.  Exercise your sacred right of suffrage, which is a time to unite, not divide, our people.   It will be a long, hard climb, but don’t lose faith. Do, nay, assert what is noble and true.

*          *          *

In the campaign trail, we bumped into two less forward but highly competent candidates for senator: a friend from way back, Sonia Roco of the Genuine Opposition, and Butch Pichay, the brilliant young man from Surigao.

In case you don’t know, Sonia is the widow of the late Raul Roco who, in their student days, was Number One nationwide. Raul was embarrassed to be Number 2, and decided to even up by marrying Sonia, daughter of the late former Congressman Pablo Malasarte.  To recall, Sonia was the woman who survived the l99l earthquake by slouching under a table for almost two weeks without food, drink and what-have-you at the Nevada Hotel. God must have a plan for her and the country after her miraculous survival.

Team Unity’s bet from Mindanao, Butch Pichay, we’ve learned from ace communications executive Ruben de Venecia-Lim, “is the leader the country needs direly because of his devotion to service and economic development.”

Butch has transformed Surigao from a sluggish province to a most vibrant one now, most of Mindnanao are outfront to ensure his election.  People in the Visayas and Luzon are eager to know more what makes him politically irresistible, his blood lineage in the Ilocos, and his Green Revolution advocacy in the Mountain province and Northern Luzon should make him a winner hereabouts.                                              

*        *         *

We received a text message that says General Art Lomibao has just resigned from the National Irrigation Administration to run for congress.  What! or Kwidaw! or ho-hum!? In the 4th district, George Cham says a big Dagupan-based Chinese business group is campaigning for Joe de Venecia, even while former Vice Mayor Teddy Manaois has brought some 3,000 teachers and education leaders to the Speaker’s list of supporters. Benjie Lim’s silence is deafening.  On the gubernatorial front, Dr. Jamie Agbayani enjoys an edge over her rivals, according to Art Lomibao’s survey, but Oscar Orbos announced entry in the Urduja race is making his rivals nervous, but Oscar Lambino vows to spring a surprise. Immigration Commissioner Al Fernandez has come home to run for mayor against Mayor Benjie Lim or his son Brian. In Sta. Barbara, General Rey Velasco has accelerated his drive for mayor against comebacking Lito Zaplan.  

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/think-about-it/)

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