Kapatiran

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines issued a pastoral exhortation on Philippine politics in 1997, the gist of which was: "Philippine politics — the way it is practiced — has been most hurtful to us as a people. It is possibly the biggest bane in our life as a nation and the most pernicious obstacle to our achieving full development. . . If we are what we are today — a nation with a great number of poor and powerless people — one reason is the way we have allowed politics to be debased and prostituted to the low level it is in now."

Since the issuance of that exhortation, no improvement in the quality of Philippine politics has taken place, say the founders of Ang Kapatiran, a national political party. "On the contrary, the situation has turned from bad to worse."

Ang Kapatiran has been putting out full-page ads in newspapers to explain what it is all about. The advertising campaign is expensive, true, but necessary to transform the political situation in the country.

The national secretary-general of Ang Kapatiran, Reynaldo "Nandy" Pacheco, takes pains, in addition to the paid ads, to gain the support of friends and media persons in disseminating information about the party.

Ang Kapatiran, says Nandy, promotes a platform-based politics. Unlike other parties which have practically no platforms, only promises and celebrity candidates for public positions, Ang Kapatiran has clear and specific policy objectives — all aimed at enhancing the common good, promoting the politics of virtue, good citizenship, duty, transparency and public accountability.

The party seeks to end the politics of the pork barrel, celebrity politics, deception, deceit, hypocrisy, dishonesty, patronage, pay-off, unprincipled compromises, expansion of political family dynasties, and the politics of guns, goods and gold.

Its platform, which remains open-ended and welcomes new specific proposals, covers moral and social dimensions. Among others, it seeks to abolish all forms of gambling, abolish the death penalty, end the use of torture to extract confession and in the treatment of prisoners, end violence (hazing) among school fraternities, promote responsible parenthood, and reorient mass media towards fostering values that contribute to the formation of national commitment that is "maka-Diyos, maka-bayan, at maka-tao."

The party invites concerned individuals to apply for membership, and be considered party candidate for any elective position or for appointment to a public office. They must lead exemplary and consistent life ethic, participate in nationwide character formation campaign, promote inter-faith cooperation and brotherhood. To join, call 8191624, 6330557, 6352796, or email [email protected], or www.angkapatiran.org.

National officers of the party are Manuel K. Dayrit, chair; David Lim, vice-chair; Mario E. Ongkiko, president; Benjamin de Guzman, vp and treasurer; Nandy Pacheco, secretary-general, and Amador Astudillo and Rafael Eriquez, deputy secretaries-general.

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The feeling of frustration and depression has inflicted a good many citizens who see no hope of a transformed political situation. That transformation is precisely what Ang Kapatiran wants to happen. And that is what the phenomenal governor of Isabela province, Grace M. Padaca, wants to happen. The governor’s winning in the last election is, however, proof that change is possible, if people who are sick and tired of dirty politics, will vote for someone they perceive is different, honest and clean.

How Grace was catapulted to power in Isabela is one for the books. A Bombo Radyo broadcaster for 14 years in Cauayan City, she made a daring move in the 2001 election by running for a congressional seat, challenging the 40-year-old political dynasty’s candidate in the 2001 election. Yesterday, she said at the Bankers Institute of the Philippines general meeting that she decided to run because she could not "just sit looking at what was happening. I said this is not what I have been taught democracy should be."

Her opponent won. Convinced that she was the winner, she took her case to the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) where she lost by 48 votes. A dissenting opinion, however, was made by the Presiding Justice of the Tribunal who said she was the real winner by 202 votes. She was challenged to run in the gubernatorial election of 2003; there, she won by 44,292 votes — against the dynasty’s head. And to think that Grace was a cripple, without money, with no political background and machinery, and considered by her opponent as a "nuisance candidate."

In two-and-a-half years, Grace showed that a governor can be incorruptible, and genuinely work for her constituents. Every Wednesday the capitol is open to the public for an ugnayan, where she listens to hundreds of people talk about their problems. She refuses "to be sidetracked by temptations to do big time projects where the primary consideration is how much kickback we can get." She has gone as far as allocating money from the provincial coffers to add to the NFA buying price P2 for every kilo of corn, and P1 for every kilo of rice "just to be able to influence the market to allow for better prices for our farmers. Our farmers have a long way to go before they can be freed from the bondage of their long years of being indebted to the financiers of their farm activities." She said she inherited almost a billion peso debt from the past administration, "but I did not have any second thought about using whatever little money we have to prioritize support for our lowly farmers."

Contractors and businessmen could not believe that the governor would not ask for a single centavo with regard to transactions, nor not derail the proper conduct of the proceedings of the bids and awards committee. Those guys, she said, know better now than to try to grease Governor Grace or use a padrino to get to her "because the more they do the more she will ignore them." She said people could not believe that she would not be interested in receiving the P2 milion a month jueteng money allocated supposedly for her. She told the bankers (headed by BAIPhil president Grace G. dela Cruz; by the way the one who invited me to the lunch is my good friend Sally P. Magat, EVP, Development Bank of the Philippines). "If all of us, women and men, just go on doing even just our little share in fighting what is wrong in society, then the battle is half won."

Grace’s struggle for life began when she contracted polio at age three. She was one of six children of schoolteachers. Because of her disability, she studied hard, graduating from elementary and high school at the top of her class, and getting her college degree at Lyceum of the Philippines magna cum laude. She also wanted to someday work where she could be heard but not seen — which was exactly what radio broadcasting did for her. On the radio, she was critical yet fair, and took up the causes of the poor and underserved.

Grace is running again – but will have to decide yet whether for governor or congresswoman.

"I may be crippled, but my spirit is not," she said. "I may be physically weak but not too many things can crush my resolve to make life meaningful, not just mine, but also those of others."

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LRI Business Plaza celebrates its third year of founding Saturday, January 27, with cultural presentations and a grand sale. Two great artists will show their artistry — the Good Guru George Sison, will launch his book, "Feng Shui of the Mind, I Am A Winner!" at Galerie Astra, and all-around artist Ernie Garcia, his "Women in Fiberglass" at LRI Art Space. . . Designers Jeanne Goulbourn of Silk Cocoon will hold a predictably hit mini fashion show, and Pinky Peralta of the Room Upstairs and Architect Alice Erfe of Erfe’s Designer Furnishing shop will show furniture pieces. LRI’s 35 stores will have different exhibits. Address: 210 Nicanor Garcia Street (formerly Reposo St, ), Bel Air II, Makati City.

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