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Monday, November 17, 2003
Biazon partly blames donors for political mess
SEN. Rodolfo Biazon aired laments on the Philippine political situation, particularly the selling and buying of votes.
Biazon said that once a candidate for president will win in an election, the financiers will surely ask for favors in return.
“There lies the problem in Philippine politics,” Biazon said last Saturday.
Biazon said a candidate for President has to spend P3 billion to P7 billion, including the buying of votes through local leaders such as mayors, governors and congressmen.
“To raise that amount, a candidate will approach perhaps the Makati Business Club, taipans, Binondo big-timers, drug lords, jueteng lords or smugglers. If he will win, do you think these financiers will not ask for favors?” Biazon asked.
Messy
Elections in the Philippines are often messy because many politicians buy votes just to win, and many voters are only too willing to sell their votes.
“If we are going to change this country, we should change the culture of the electorate. Voters lack maturity,” he said.
Biazon added that when he visited a university, students solicited from him funds for their educational tours.
“I told them I have no funds for that. If I will please them and ask money from businessmen to finance their educational tour, I will be indebted to that businessman and perhaps I cannot refuse if he asks for a favor,” Biazon said.
Biazon said that in 1992, the first time he ran for senator, he only spent P1.7 million. It represented the salary of his staff, gasoline, airline tickets, vehicle rentals and propaganda materials.
Different
“The money I spent was for election expenses and that’s different from the money used to buy votes. I just presented to the people and they voted for me,” Biazon said.
Biazon, however, expressed optimism that people can change.
“I see something good in people. Something is good down there but superseded by bad politics,” Biazon said.
Biazon won as senator in 1992. He sought reelection in 1995 but did not make it because of the “dagdag-bawas” scheme. He ran again in 1998 and won. EOB
(November 17, 2003 issue)
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