ENCYCLOPEDIA defines expediency as the quality of being convenient and practical despite possibly being improper or immoral. In short, “sariling kapakanan ang habol”.
As the election further heats up, the already hottest summer we are agonizing now, expediency seems to inflict many candidates from national down local. Party principles and platform are ignored, and what only matters is individual survival.
Among senatoriables, one can notice the pairing up of weaker bets with stronger ones, all stronger bets, and some, with assured backing from Malacañang go campaigning individually, leaving aside partymates, and putting the party on the sideline. Of course, there is no party rule on this, but most if not all traditional parties, is silent on their party bets realigning or pairing with whoever they see can help them get better winning chances.
So we see some admin bets dealing with opposition figures, and vice versa. Some are expedient. For others it may not be their own making, but somebody who have stakes in them want the most expedient combinations. Whoever calls the shot, what matters and by whatever cost, the candidates must win.
In the locality, the same is happening, albeit discreet. Both contending groups in Bacolod though converging regularly as one group or party, still have their bets engaging in realigning and pairing methods, weaker and stronger bets, all stronger bets, bets of relatives and kin, all barkada bets, and few other combinations. The bottom line is pooling resources and command votes. Some with not much resources campaign on their own.
The worst fear expressed by some is when some of their partymates take expediency to the highest gear, by working out deals with their opponents in exchange for greater winnability, and thus weakens the entire group or the party position. Whether this fear has material basis or not, is still something to be assumed given the historical records of treachery, double-dealing, and buy out.
Expediency per se is not bad for good people because there are times when compromises and concessions are necessary if only to give time for good intentions to survive and thrive. It only becomes terribly deplorable for people who have penchant for such, who makes a living out of expediency, and uses expediency at the expense of friendship, partymates and the party, and platform.
Expediency then becomes an illness rather than a tool for a well-intentioned maneuver.
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WILD WILD WEST seems to be a growing trend in the country, and Negros in particular. The forcible entry of a dozen or so hooded armed men in civilian clothes in Metro Inn Bacolod last Thursday that resulted in the violent seizure of a lawyer and a retired police officer was the latest in the string of extra judicial killings that has plagued Negros for months.
A number of police reports have it that the two were seized because of their alleged involvement in illegal drug trade. What is astonishing is this seems to be the same reason given to the others who were killed extra-judicially, even the 14 poor peasants killed in police and military operations in Negros Oriental.
Instead of sowing public inconveniences and fear, why not file them cases in court if they have substantive evidences?
Or is this now the norm to exact justice, simply kill without due process? If so, are they not institutionalizing so called “kangaroo court,” and encouraging anyone with grudges with others to simply take up guns and kill?
Sadly, the victims have not been given a chance to air their side. More sadly, not a single perpetrator has been caught and prosecuted. If at all they arrested one or two, the judicial process stops there. Nothing follows or even heard of after.
Again, I hope I am wrong even if my perspective seems to tell me otherwise.
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