Multi-party system, pastilan!

Here’s a little historical bit of our political past. When the idea of a government with a multi-party system was initially broached, the vocal majority of our leaders overwhelmed us with positive arguments. The two-party system to them was inadequate and had to give way to a more dynamic theory. Accordingly, the control of the Nacionalista Party (NP) and the Liberal Party (LP) did not augur well to our growth as a country because those who had minimal access to the political moguls had meager chance of getting nominated as candidates to elective positions.

Our initial foray into the multi-party system came with the parliamentary form of government embodied in the 1973 Constitution. Patterned from European models, it had, at the apex of the parliament, a prime minister who was supposed to come from the party whose membership constituted the majority of the assembly or (and this was the most salient feature of the multi-party character of the system) the coalition of parties to compose the majority.

In various stages of our national life, there were formed many such parties. Everyone who wanted to run for an office did not anymore have to get the blessings of the known political kings and king makers in the NP and the LP. The Pusyon Bisaya was a rag tag team of political unknowns compared to the Marcos’ KBL which had Lito Osmeña, Pabling Garcia, Nito Durano, Eddie Gullas among others in its fold. All that an aspirant had to do was to gather his friends to form an organization, give it a name, and most importantly, fund it. In short, he who had the wherewithal could create his own party and launch his candidacy. The success of the parties formed were measured by the depth of the pockets of the organizers.

As the multi-party system steamrolled, the Nacionalista and the Liberal got smothered. The NP and the LP were manacled by the principles they continued to uphold. Their policies were couched in highest nationalistic terms. Money was not at the top of their agenda and power (for the sake of propping the rulers among them) they did not aspire for.

Forward to the present. The effects of multi-party system were not anticipated. We have them now, at hand. Under the cover of the prevailing system, our political leaders do not anymore mind the principles that should have set each one of them apart. Thus, in the opposition senatorial line-up, you can see the Liberal Party man in Congressman Noynoy Aquino and the president of its erstwhile rival, the Nacionalista Party, Sen. Manuel Villar sharing a common front with the PDP Laban represented by Atty. Koko Pimentel and Sen. Ping Lacson who to my mind used to be a pillar of the LDP of Sen. Ed Angara who, himself, is now with the administration team.

As I see it, the principles upon which the political parties are supposed to be founded, are now getting blurred. Necessarily, their visions have become vague for both the party hierarchy and those wanting to take shelter under them. People with electoral dreams align with political parties not much on the basis of the philosophy underscoring their existence but in the expectation that in the campaign season, their aspirations can be literally funded. On the part of the party leaders (I mean organizers) they increase their fold as they dangle the available logistics.

The presence of multi-party system has made some of our politicians infidel. Can you imagine that our city vice mayor was seen leading the campaign of Sen. Lacson? Of course, I was told that the vice mayor got the instruction of his boss, the mayor. Considering that the local group in power is supposed to be the ally of the administration, it is incomprehensible theoretically that it should also coddle the senate re-election bid of one belong to the opposition.

This coming election is not about principles of political parties. It simply is dictated by financial dalliances. Unlike in the past when we got the chance to elect a candidate tossed by a party with a definite stance in governance, we presently have the tendency to vote for him whose campaign machine does not fully respect sound philosophy of government. How I wish we were back to the past.