A politician at the Comelec

Even some opposition members have welcomed the appointment of Benjamin Abalos as chairman of the Commission on Elections. People seem to think a politician can put an end to the protracted bickering in the Comelec.

But I was reminded yesterday that politicians aren’t supposed to head the Commission on Elections. The reason: since the Comelec must decide on highly partisan matters, its chairman must be non-partisan. Wasn’t this why a former congressman — a relative of a former president — could not be appointed to the Comelec?

Maybe Benjamin Abalos, when he headed the Metro Manila Development Authority, could be classified as an ex-politician. Okay, so what about ex-politicians with children in politics? Can they head the Comelec? Abalos’ son Benhur, following in the father’s footsteps, is mayor of Mandaluyong City.

I don’t know Abalos personally and I have nothing against him, and I would go for anything that would end that disgraceful circus at the Comelec. (So sorry for Alfredo Benipayo, but hey, he may get a seat in the Supreme Court.) I just want to remind everyone that politicians — active, retired, planning a comeback — attract political flak.

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Already Aquilino Pimentel Jr., picked by the opposition as the Senate majority leader, reportedly wants Abalos to brief the Commission on Appointments about the kidnapping and murder charges filed against him in 1995. The complaint was filed by a woman whose husband was apprehended by cops for heckling Abalos Sr. during his campaign rally for re-election as Mandaluyong mayor. The heckler, Raymundo Anot, was thrown into jail and ended up dead soon after. Police said he committed suicide by drinking muriatic acid. His wife said he had no reason to kill himself.

That’s just for starters. We haven’t even heard yet from the "coup pals" at the Comelec led by Commissioner Luzviminda Tancangco. Now that they’ve seen the spectacular results of their coup, what might they have in store for Abalos?

I don’t know if Malacañang was caught flat-footed by that coup of sorts, or if President Arroyo deliberately omitted issuing a new appointment to Benipayo so she could name a replacement. Some Palace factotums are letting on that Benipayo himself wanted out (can’t blame him). But don’t be surprised if Tancangco and her gang claim victory.

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There will be those who will argue that an ex-politician can certainly head the Comelec since the poll body has become highly politicized anyway. Tancangco and her kindred spirits in the Comelec, as everyone knows, are closely identified with the man who appointed them, deposed President Joseph Estrada.

Also, which institution has not been politicized in this country? Even the Supreme Court has become tainted with politics in the wake of EDSA Dos.

Candidates for public office who are perceived as non-traditional politicians end up looking, sounding and walking like traditional politicians once they are elected. Soon they are singing the virtues of "pork" and even joining the regular brawls over the Countrywide Development Fund, or whatever is the latest euphemism politicians have concocted for the congressional pork barrel. There’s no escaping death, taxes and politics in this country.

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Late last week I ran into the man perceived to be the most "trapo" of all the traditional politicians, the man who makes no apologies about being a trapo, tradpol or whatever you want to call it – Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

His main concern was not the House of Representatives but the Senate, where lawmakers are trying to work out their differences before Congress resumes session next month.

Lakas, the administration party, is wooing some opposition members to break the impasse at the Senate, De Venecia reiterated. It was the only way, he said. Some Lakas senators gave hints yesterday of what was being cooked up: a power-sharing scheme under which several opposition senators would get choice committee chairmanships.

You may not like De Venecia’s style, but you have to admit he has a practical, realistic view of Philippine society. It can be depressing when you consider that view — a feudal land of trapos, warlords and the rich elite, whose main concern when it comes to politics can be summed up in one question: What’s in it for me?

By providing a satisfactory answer to that question, De Venecia keeps House members in line. Of course there were a handful of lawmakers who staged a House rump session in sympathy with the opposition in the Senate, but the congressmen came off looking like clowns.

Can horse-trading save the day for the Senate? Of course it can. Everything eventually gets settled in that circus – if the price is right.

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The Senate, unfortunately, may just be a mirror of our society. It’s every man for himself in this country, as Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin has lamented often enough.

Our founding fathers botched even our proclamation of independence, whose 104th anniversary we’re celebrating today. After that declaration, revolutionary President Emilio Aguinaldo spent time trying to convince the world that the Filipino deserved independence. Meanwhile, members of the Philippine elite were one by one starting to pay allegiance to the new colonizers, whose superior armada had just sunk the entire Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. The earliest converts to Uncle Sam probably thought those were mean guns trained on Manila by the American fleet commanded by George Dewey.

Poor Aguinaldo was not defeated in battle, but was caught when his people withdrew support from him and embraced the American way.

One day we may have to pick another date for celebrating Independence Day. We get confused early in grade school, when we’re told that Aguinaldo declared independence shortly before Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States. After World War II the Americans declared Philippine independence but kept us under their security umbrella for nearly five decades. GI Joe finally left in 1992 but now he’s back, and it looks like he’s here to stay a long time.

There will be no lack of reminders today that we’re celebrating the Declaration of Independence with 1,000 American troops deployed in Mindanao. We’re again depending on Uncle Sam for national defense. There’s nothing wrong with having allies, and I think most Filipinos will choose the United States over the forces of terrorism. But you wonder why, more than a hundred years after declaring independence, we still can’t stand on our own feet.

There are many reasons for this, and we know at least one of them. This is what we get when we expend an inordinate amount of time and energy on politicking.