The politics of politics

Recently I have been reading several news pieces about the departure of Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III from the United Nationalist Alliance of Jojo Binay and Joseph Estrada, despite their best efforts to convince him to stay and not join another political party. It is really beyond me why there is such a big fuss concerning this. Politicians leave their parties all the time in our country and becoming a turncoat is not a new thing. Why should this garner all the attention it has in the media? It seems like yet another act in an endless dramatic play starring Sen. Koko Pimentel. He, who has yet to prove himself as worthy senator, is too busy going on and on about the electoral fraud he was the victim of in the last election. That issue is done. He is in the seat of power now. Why not focus on good politics and let the rest go?

There is a push and pull at work here, and in the Philippines, there is a “politics” to politics so to speak. Corruption has always been the biggest problem, but alongside that are several other controversies that seem to get continuously splashed on television and newspapers, as opposed to actually getting solved. The media circus surrounding Senator Pimentel’s decision to leave UNA is just another political upheaval the citizens shouldn’t need to concern themselves with. He is not the first person to do this. Many still remember the time when Ferdinand Marcos of the Liberal Party quit his position as Senate President to join the Nacionalista Party and became the NP’s standard-bearer for president. He eventually won over President Diosdado Macapagal in 1965 and ran for re-election in 1969, becoming the first president in the nation’s history to serve two consecutive terms. Before his second term could end, however, he declared martial law, and the rest is People Power history.

Which brings me back to the current state of Philippine politics. It doesn’t seem that a great deal has changed since then. While there have been definite improvements and steps forward, what usually make the front page is the backbiting, the trash-talking, and the strife among politicians and political parties. Next year eight senators will run for a six-year term, and what the public should be concerned with is which candidates will make good senators who will serve the country well, as opposed to which candidates are fighting, who is on who’s side, which political party did so-and-so join, and so on and so forth. The mudslinging only makes it harder on the voters themselves.

Understandably, Senator Pimentel feels cheated. Everyone knows that. In fact, he won’t stop talking about it. Though it came to light that it was former President GMA that was directly involved with the alleged vote padding in Maguindanao, the object of Senator Pimentel’s ire is still former Senator Miguel “Migz” Zubiri since he was the beneficiary of that alleged electoral fraud. Forget the fact the there was never any proof that Zubiri was directly involved. Forget the fact that he willingly went through the entire legal process. And forget the fact that when faced with suspicion and doubt, Zubiri quietly and magnanimously handed over the post to Pimentel. None of that matters in Pimentel’s eyes and to this day he continues to bring up the past. Even in his decision to leave UNA, which should have remained a personal and professional choice for him, he needed to make as much noise as possible claiming he could not share the platform with a “cheater.” It all just seems so contrived, and pardon me, so old. It’s like watching last year’s news on repeat when what we should be concerned about is the future.

Yes, a lot of bad things happened in the past. But if you look closely at former Senator Zubiri, you have to admit it was not all bad. He is an honest and compassionate civil servant who has already rendered years of good public service. Zubiri is a genuinely kind man who has time for everyone and who works hard to be just and fair. He is not the type of politician that is hard to approach and is passionate about what he does. While in office he has authored several high-impact legislations and worked on projects with local government units such as classrooms, day care centers, health centers, roads, multi-purpose buildings and many more.

Even when he left his post and could have easily been dejected and disillusioned, he instead chose to remain positive and looked for other ways he could help his country and his countrymen outside of the government. His work with the Pilipinas Ecowarriors encourages Filipinos to love and care for the environment and strives to conduct information and education campaigns on Philippine environmental laws and ways to preserve, conserve, and protect the environment, knowing that ecological balance leads to economic development.

Senator Pimentel, on the other hand, is just starting to get his bearings in the political arena. If he focused the energy he used on crying foul time and time again on political projects and initiatives, he could have accomplished a lot more by now. However, not to be unfair to the senator, it is also understandable that he feels angry on having lost the time he could have been in office. He is still a bar topnotcher and has the skills and capabilities needed to achieve great things. He would be far better served to let go of the past and look to the future instead. Those in his province in particular are awaiting the positive changes he has yet to make. Senator Pimentel is principled, there is no denying that. And come hell or high water he stands for what he believes and that is an admirable trait. But that point has already been made. It’s time to move on. It’s time to show the public why you deserve to be in the Senate.

Politics is akin to a game of chess, and with all the pieces moving in every which direction, the upcoming elections is sure to have its own share of controversy and intrigue. The dramatic match between rivals Pimentel and Zubiri is just one of many political power plays that will see the public arena in 2013. Especially in the Philippines where there is a push and pull in the political arena, sometimes it’s not just about what is on the surface, but more about what’s bubbling underneath.

Pimentel’s decision to leave UNA was probably a good thing. It will eventually show if that helped or hindered his bid for a senatorial seat in and if a peaceful and honest election is better served by keeping political enemies apart, then so be it. In the meantime, while preparing for that big showdown, it’s best for Senator Pimentel to let anger and intrigue go and to continue to serve the country and the people to the best of his ability. Stop with the negative and aim to achieve positive change whenever and wherever possible. Migz Zubiri is already doing just that and will definitely continue to do so until the public ultimately make their choice next year.

At the end of the day, in our democratic society, it is the voters who are the ones with power. Who do they want to be in office? Only time will tell.