Ay! Nadulas: A take on political patronage

Kung titingnan ay maraming salik ang naging dahilan sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin. Nariyan ang bagyo at ang malawakang pagtaas ng inflation rate dahil sa nangyayaring giyera sa ibang panig ng mundo.

Sa kabila nito, hindi pa rin nawawalan ng karampatang pananagutan ang gobyerno sa nasabing krisis, sapagkat sila dapat ang may kaalaman, at magtaglay ng galing upang kontrolin at agapan ang mga ganitong pangyayari. Bagaman, maganda ang intensyon ng hindi nila pag-angkat sa ibang bansa - upang mapalago ang sarili nating produksyon - ang ganitong gawi ay nangangailangang pag-isipan ng mabuti at iangkop sa tamang panahon at pangangailangan ng masa. Masusing pag-aaral ng mga datos ang isa sa mga napakahalagang hakbang upang masigurado na ang desisyon na kanilang isasagawa ay para sa ikabubuti ng nakararami.

Dahil sa nangyayaring kakulangan, huli man, ay muli ng minamataan na mag-angkat ng sibuyas ng sa gayon ay pansamantalang masolusyunan ang ibinungang problema. Sa pamamagitan nito, dadami ang suplay ng sibuyas kasabay ng pagbaba ng presyo nitosagot sa kahilingan ng masa, ngunit maaring maging bangungot para sa mga magsasaka. Ang nasabing pag-aangkat ay maaring sumabay sa mismong anihan ng mga Pilipinong magsasaka na magiging dahilan upang higit na dumami ang suplay na maaring mauwi sa kanilang pagkalugi. Muli, ang ilan ay magkakalasa ang pagkain, ngunit paano naman ang mga magsasaka na kung malulugi ay baka wala ng pagkaing malalasahan?

Isa rin sa tinuturong dahilan ng nasabing pagtaas ay ang kaliwa’t kanang kaso ng smuggling. Inilabas na dahilan ng Department of Agricluture ang mga sindikatong nagtatago ng limpak limpak na sibuyas, ng sa gayon ay bumaba ang suplay nito sa merkado na magdudulot ng pagtaas ng presyo, at s’yang kukunin nilang pagkakataon upang ilabas ang mga tinagong sibuyas at ibenta ito ng higit na mas mahal sa pangkaraniwan. Hanggang ngayon ang mga impormasyong ito ay datos at naisatitik pa lamang, ang aksyon ay wala pang malinaw na plano.

Tunay ngang ang ilan sa dahilan ng pangyayari ay hindi naman kontrolado ng gobyerno, ngunit kung hindi sila, ay sino ang dapat tanungin at panagutin?

Nakakalungkot kung iisipin, na ang kawalan ng panlasa ng Pilipino sa pagpili ng kanilang mga binoboto ay isa sa rason kung bakit ang mas maraming Pilipino pa ang nanganganib na kumain ng lutuin na walang lasa at masaklap ay mawalan ng pagkain na malalasahan.

Ang panlasa ng mga Pilipino ay maaring nawala noong una, ngunit kung patuloy na ganitong sitwasyon ang ipatitikim sa kanila, sila na mismo ang mag-iisip ng timplang nararapat. Hindi pa naman huli ang lahat, unang taon pa lamang, unang kulo. Mahaba pa ang oras na maaring iayon ang lasa ng putahe sa nais na malasahan ng mga Pilipino, ang kaalaman at aksyon ay maari pang dagdagan para ang lahat ay makatikim ng sarap. Hindi nawawala ang pag-asa na balang araw, ay makukuha ng administrasyon ang timpla sa mga susunod na taon; at sa mga susunod na pagkulo, nawa ay mahainan na ng pantay at masarap na buhay ang bawat isa. May pag-asa pang makatikim ng may lasa.

“I have nothing to do with the appointments. I leave it up to my husband.” First statement– straight and direct.

“And if I found out that somebody is using my name, I shall tell my husband not to appoint you, okay? I hope this is clear. I am sick and tired of people using my name.” Second statement– ironic. These were the lines directly transcripted from a video of First Lady Liza Marcos taken last January 2023, regarding the appointed officials in the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP). Irony slips out of an inconsistent line. However, this article is not specifically written for the ironies and inconsistencies of the Marcoses; but for the general and always classical political patronage, cronyism, and nepotism. Well, it still is worth note-taking that one of the branding left by the Marcoses was their crony capitalism by linking themselves to name like Danding Cojuanco Jr., Lucio Tan,, and it is, however, in the second-coming with the help of Junior by surrounding himself with the known crony names such as Remulla, Ople, Estrella, LagdameoFloreindo right upon taking office.

I’d like to call this, “The Sikovility” – the ability to land a prospect job because your father had already talked [of course, casually!] to either the managing or the hiring officer – ‘Pare, yung nag-apply sa’yo jan sa Office of the *toot*, anak ko ‘yon ah. Pasuyo naman bilang mabuting kaibigan, pare.’ Isn’t it just unfair to those born without the privileges of any connections to the higher pyramid of the society? Political patronage only favors the rich and the well-connected, and leaves the poor cluelessly thinking – “Am I unqualified for the job?” Not knowing that whoever got the position was actually the far niece of someone’s godmother’s friend. The “sikovility” can also be found in extreme family centeredness wherein one uses the resources that may be found in a family member’s office and imposes authority, resulting in factionalism, patronage, political dynasties, and protection of erring family members.

Patronage has long been the sibling of corruption in Philippine politics, as it is built upon specific and chosen networks of political clans. Well, it isn’t shocking news as the early Philippine politics only granted access to principalias or the richest among the community. The Municipal Code of 1901 basically required any [Filipino] political candidate to be fluent in English or Spanish, must possess his own real property, and must be paying an annual tax of 50 dollars. This act ensured that only landed elites would dominate not only the first municipal elections, but also the succeeding elections as well. During that time, tell us, who was able to learn English or Spanish? Ever since the beginning of Philippine politics, the poor had no chance to have a word in administration. The first Constitution, and the following ‘til the present, indeed established a fine line to separate and filter democracy between the rich and the poor.

Sure, the poor may practice liberty and freedom of speech as it is written in the Philippine Bill of Rights, but if you come to think about it; are the poor actually given equal and fair rights and opportunities? Are the poor simply nonplayable characters in a story run by the elites? Why is democracy exclusive? Why is this alarming to us youth?

Imagine actually finishing your studies and degree, standing as a qualified candidate for a job you’ve been long eyeing, only to be turned down because an official’s driver’s nephew’s friend entered the room carrying the word that will surely land him the job. A little help is acknowledged, but it is more than unfair to reject those qualified to pave way to the favorites of the officials. May this be a reminder to us all that shortcuts are still an abuse of power. Even small favors could represent a bigger process. It is also our duty and responsibility to keep the public office trustworthy. The ‘sikovility’ has probably grown to be part of the Filipino favor culture, and alarmingly not a lot of people recognize this culture and attitude to be an actual concept of oligarchic patrimonialism, bossism, clientelism, and contested democracy. They aren’t just simply “bad bosses”, but victims of the growing problem of exclusive democracy.

At the end of the day, trust your abilities. We do not need to ask any favors from anyone, as the generation of youth are competent, ambitious, and conscientious. As we are all aiming to break the bonds of generational trauma, let us set the end. Together, the youth of today shall break cultures that only put us at an unfair playing