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Monday, October 27, 2003
Antalan: Why people run
By Roger P. Antalan
Dateline Igacos
Even the beautiful actress-wife of FPJ, Susan Roces, was recently quoted to have said: "Politics is dirty". If so, one must be off his mind to enter politics. "Sakit lang sa ulo ang makuha mo" (you will only get a headache), is the common warning given by relatives and friends.
IN 1998, I informed the president of the company where I worked that I wanted to avail myself of my optional retirement. He asked why. I said I was going to run as mayor in my hometown. Without hesitation, he blurted out: "You are crazy".
In a way, after two terms as mayor, he was correct. Even the beautiful actress-wife of FPJ, Susan Roces, was recently quoted to have said: "Politics is dirty". If so, one must be off his mind to enter politics. "Sakit lang sa ulo ang makuha mo" (you will only get a headache), is the common warning given by relatives and friends.
And yet, come election time, many aspire to become "honorables". Let us look at the local scene. As of this moment, in one of our city districts, there are already 25 possible candidates for four slots in the City Council.
Why do people run for public office? My late mother, every time she was hard pressed for an answer, would usually say: "Dili matugkad ang huna-huna sa tawo (You cannot fathom a man's mind). The possible reasons therefore can be varied, very interesting, if not colorful. The range from the noble and the sublime to the "crazy" and out of this world.
What is clearly given is that all the candidates want to serve. Serving the constituents, especially the poor and the needy, is one of the noblest motives.
Almost all really believe in their hearts that they are going to win. As you know, there are no Pulse Asia or the Social Weather Station surveys in the rural areas.
Aside from "Lakas-Loob" and the claim that they have been "inspire by God", some candidates strongly declare that they have been pushed to seek for an elective position by the people. Actually, for some, these are but the voices of the "batos", or the "alalays", the close-in drumbeaters. "Sige na boss, daug ka lagi (Go ahead, boss, you are a sure winner)".
There are those who never won in an election, but they always run every election. The joke going around is that this is "their last term - of continued losing!"
A similar type of wannabes are the so-called "born-against". They are the perennial oppositionists. They are always against whoever is with the administration. During the presidential elections, they will be there, as a way of life (always against), or for funding, as intimidated by some people.
Win or lose, they hope to gain. In the past however, there were some who were left with an empty bag because the promise of the post-Marcos big money did not come.
There are n o famous actors or well-known radio-TV personalities in the local areas. Name recall comes from being a son or a relative of a former elected official; from being a high-performing deputy mayor or a barangay captain; school principals, department heads, chiefs of police and national agency directors assigned in the LGU-who were active before they retired.
Some are forward-looking. They may not make it in 2004 but they need the exposure for 2007. Not a few seek an elective position to protect their own business, which is nothing new. Others simply say that politics is in their blood.
Mainly it is the honor and the prestige of being called "Honorable." Being a public servant is a much-coveted honor in the towns and small cities. More recently, even the position of barangay chief has been hotly contested and sought after.
Are these people crazy? Let's hope it is the "madness" that go beyond the ordinary, beyond the public servants' pay, beyond traditional politics. Towards transparency and accountability, the new craze in good governance.
(October 27, 2003 issue)
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