Beyond the image of Racuyal and Tagean

During the first two days of the period for the filing of the certificates of candidacy, we saw, in addition to known politicians, other attractive personalities. This happenstance is not new. In previous elections, there were such human beings, who were objects of different, largely negative, perceptions. I am certain that before the closing of office hours on Friday, there will be more of similar characters.

There was a Mr. Pascual Racuyal, for instance. I have lost count how many times he did it but I do recall that since I was a young kid, Mr. Racuyal, never failed to offer himself as an alternative candidate for president. When confronted with embarrassing questions why he persisted to run for office despite the certainty of his defeat, his answer sounded like it was his form of sacrifice for our country.

On Monday, a Racuyal kind of scene was repeated. Salam Emilio Delin Sr. y Lacan Luisong Tagean (whew, that a long name!), from Naga City, went to the Central Office of the Commission on Elections an absolute nobody. But, when he filed his COC for senator of the republic, he became an instant celebrity. Salam Tagean is no longer an unknown commodity. Naturally, news reporters pressed him for his best reason for running. He stunned them with his obiter of an answer that he owns the Philippine archipelago. That became his tag, another Racuyal of sort. Quite frankly, even assuming that he was speaking of the truth, I did not see the relation at all.

Now, without losing our own lucidity, let us attempt to put a little substance to the acts of these two personalities. The Philippines is a democratic and republican state. In our country, there are constitutional qualifications for such elective national offices as the president and vice president, senators and representatives. Beyond these, mental and property qualifications are not imposed. There is no doubt that at the bottom of these qualifications is the purity of the heart and the nobility of the intention of the candidate. On these parameters, nobody could claim with exactitude that Racuyal then was not qualified and Tagean now is similarly faulted.

While historical account made fun of Racuyal, can we honestly say that Tagean, supposing he is not declared a nuisance candidate, is a comic unworthy of our vote? In a more specific sense, are candidates Ernesto Maceda and Gregorio Honasan of the UNA and Peter Alan Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV of the Liberal Party better than Tagean?

Maceda, who served the administrations of former President Marcos and Aquino and Cayetano who was most eloquent in his opposition to former President Arroyo, are lawyers. They played great roles in the past and in that regard they have probably outlived their utility.

The case of Honasan and Trillanes is a classic story of soldiers turned rebels turned politicians. At one point of our history, they broke the chain of command. In the pursuit of their brand of idealism, they injured our image as a peace loving nation, inflicted physical damage in the heart of Metro Manila, and caused economic disadvantage to our country. There is a possibility that when their perceptions do not match with many, they can go awry, meaning fugitives, again.

Really, we cannot quantify Tagean against the popular candidates. We should not. In all likelihood, he just wants more to be popular even as he ends being notorious. Either way, that is selfishness or ego tripping something that is not totally missing among the popular aspirants.

It is important to realize that Tagean only is a symbol. His filing his COC symbolizes the importance of the electoral process that we shall undertake next. We need to examine the candidates deeper than listening to such claim as owning the Philippines. If we must understand the background Tagean, we likewise have to remember what the re-electionists among his co-COC filers have done to us in the past. There is this duty for us to know what Tagean intends to do, if allowed to pursue his candidacy, in the same vigor that we have to learn what the other candidates plan for our country. Yes, our only objective must be not to err in giving the reins of government to the undeserving.