Political Dynasty

Section 26, Article II of the Declaration of Principles and State Policies of the Constitution provides that “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”

The last part of the afore-quoted provision prohibits the establishment of political dynasties, however, it left the two words, “political” “dynasties”, undefined. The Constitution gave to the Congress the duty to enact the statute that will define political dynasty which is now a very significant issue.

The matter was put to the public’s scrutiny when former Senator Francisco “Kit” Tatad, staunch supporter of the deposed President Joseph Estrada, estranged his ties with the United Opposition, known as UNO, formed by the oppositionist parties and other key persons known to be critical of the present government and formed for the purpose of countering the senatorial slate of the LAKAS, KAMPI and NPC coalition party of the administration. The severance from UNO was made known by the former senator in a public letter published in a prominent newspaper. His separation from the party was grounded on the alleged moral issue of political dynasty being forged by the political families within their own ranks and within UNO itself, i.e. Estrada, Pimentel and Cayetano in the Senate. If political dynasty is permitted to be established, according to the former senator, protectionism of political interests and denial of political opportunities to others shall dominate political environment in the Senate.

In a television interview, made by Anthony Taberna in ABS CBN channel 2 morning program, Congressman Allan Peter Cayetano counters the allegations of former senator Kit Tatad by stating that in the same provision of the Constitution states that the State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities to public service, hence, bolsters his ambitions to serve his countrymen in the other chamber of Congress, the Philippine Senate, where his sister Pia Cayetano is an incumbent Senator. He insists that the matter is beyond moral issue and that the issue should be focused on the rendition of genuine public service to the Filipinos beyond personal interest.

The contentions of both parties are meritorious to my own view. Nonetheless, I could not close my eyes and ears on the matter pertaining to the moral aspect of the present issue. I am not a moralist nor am I a righteous man equipped with authority to talk on this subject. Being a citizen of this country and as a part of its body politic, I hereby deemed myself to have acquired locus standi to give opinion on this relevant issue of political dynasty, surreptitiously being formed in the country’s political arena.

Although, Congressman Cayetano may have been correct in his contention that he could not be denied of the equal opportunity to public service as a senator if elected because it is his right to become as such and that nowhere in the Constitution and any existing law is he prohibited to run for senate, I strongly believe that his qualifications must not merely be of legal basis but likewise be of moral and ethical bases. Therefore, in gauging his qualifications one must look past the letters of the law but from the spirit of the law that bring fourth its enactment. That is the moral standard from which the enactment of the law was based. After all, one which is legal must be moral.

The constitution in section 3, article VI, enumerates the legal qualifications of a person who must become a senator, to wit: (1) a natural-born citizen of the Philippines; (2) at least thirty-five years of age; (3) able to read and write; (4) a registered voter; and (5) a resident of the Philippines for not less than two years immediately preceding the day of the election. Further, the Constitution also provides prohibitions such as; (1) no senator shall hold public office and (2) no senator shall appear as counsel in any court of law, tribunal or any quasi judicial or administrative bodies. Thus, to become a senator one must possess all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications provided by law.

I post the question, “how about the moral disqualifications?” One who wishes to become a senator or any other public official, in this case, must likewise review his moral and ethical credentials. These are the standards from whence the legal qualifications are based. It may not be legally enforceable but surely they are useful weighing tolls in gauging ones ability to render genuine public service free from the constraint of outside pressure and from the evil forces in the politics.

A senator or any public official must not be in possession of any moral disqualifications. Moral ascendancy, which issue was so popular during the impeachment of the then President Estrada, is not new to Congressman Cayetano and the other aspiring politicians of his situation. To join working with your husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister or cousins in one chamber or branch of the government is highly unethical. Personal interest is not far from being pointed to as the compelling reason for having relatives working together in one agency. Graft and corruption is not far from happening. That is a motive, a very enticing one. Having your family, friends and cohorts managing the key positions and functions in the government is a dynasty at work. Therefore, if the present administration could not divest itself of this practice why should the fiscalizing opposition party do the same? Where is then the alternative politics they’re offering to the public? Here, is a group of people claiming to redeem the Filipinos from their bondage of the corrupt and evil government but of the same face hiding beneath the mask and cloak of alternative governance. That is bullshit.

Indeed, if congressman Cayetano, Mayor JV Ejercito, etc. have the genuine intent to serve Filipinos they can do the same whatever position and wherever chamber or agency they may be into. In the proper forum with credible, factual and substantive issues and evidence, they could check and even prosecute an erring public official, even the President of the Republic, for that matter. After all, that is what keeping Congressman Cayetano very busy the past few months. The rendition of service if it be the real purpose in joining the government service and in engaging in politics is possible in a million ways. That purpose is beyond the position one is holding or the branch of government one belongs to.

These families of politicians holding key elective positions in the government cannot justify themselves by the principle written in latin which say vox pupolae, vox dei which means that the voice of the people is the voice of God. Congressman Cayetano, giving the same authority claims that, if he will be chosen by the electorate, whatever moral issues posted questioning him from holding such office will become moot and academic. Paraphrasing his statement he claims that when the people have spoken the conflict is settled because the supreme electoral judges have rendered their decision. This is folly. That is a misplaced invocation of that principle. The voice referred to here is the welfare of the people. When the populace speaks of its welfare that voice coming from them is a resonance of that of God. Hence, their welfare comes ahead of anything else. Now, having been enlightened with the said principle it is very hard to equate welfare with electing or voting.

The relationship by blood and by affinity, therefore, must be a self limiting condition. Politicians with equal access to opportunities for public service must abstain from running for an office where family and relatives is already an incumbent member. Our officials must rally the high merit of righteousness. They are, by virtue of the power given by the electorate, leaders of the Filipino Nation. What pride can this nation have if its leaders elected in office are all immoral and decadent?

I trust, that if our Congress would be emptied of with elected members coming from the same families and put an end to the practice of families monopolizing the sits in both houses of Congress, with the initiative of doing it coming from them, a law would be passed defining political dynasty thereby implementing the constitutional proscription of establishing political dynasties.