Merit and fitness rather than popularity
The sad thing about popular elections in a democracy like ours is that the best and the most qualified candidates are not likely to win over the more popular although less competent senatoriables. Such great candidates for senators like Richard Gordon and Raffy Alunan may be beaten by more well-known and more moneyed aspirants like Manny Pacquiao and Edu Manzano. Such brilliant and passionate bets like Rissa Hontiveros-Baraquel may get less votes than such characters like Alma Moreno and Mark Lapid. This is not really a contest based on competence rather it is a battle for the more glamorous personalities.
Just like the ways in more advanced countries, such as in the USA, such outstanding presidentiables like Jeb Bush and Dr Ben Carson may be beaten in the primaries by such jokes like Donald Trump. This, perhaps, is the reason that one sage suggested that the weakness of all democratic states and nations precisely lies on the undeniable fact that their political leaders, who run their governments and lead the people are not chosen based on competence and character, but mainly on the basis of their popularity. The majority of the voters are not themselves very much competent in the crucial task of selecting the best.
And so, in the next elections, such great candidates like Senate President Franklin Drilon, former labor secretary, justice secretary and executive secretary may win but will most likely have lesser votes than Tito Sotto. Well, we have nothing personal against Sotto, although his claim to fame before the Senate was only such shows as Eat Bulaga and Iskul Bukol. And, with all due respect, those were not credentials to become senator. But, in fairness to Tito, he proved himself to be a worthy scion of his illustrious forebears, Cebu's famous brothers, the great Don Vicente Sotto and Don Filemon Sotto. But to beat a Bar topnotcher like Drilon in a contest for a position that demands legal acumen is a mystery that never ceases to amaze me.
Because of such a very unfortunate scheme of things, excellent senators like Serge Osmeña, Ralph Recto, and Kiko Pangilinan may win, but I am willing to bet my one thousand to anybody's one peso, Manny Pacquiao may be in the top three winners with millions of votes more than all the three veteran legislators Osmeña, Recto, and Pangilinan.
Even Ping Lacson may be in the tail-end because the voters will not use any scientific and philosophical procedure in choosing the most qualified to occupy senate seats. Such competent senatoriables like Lorna Kapunan, Toots Ople, Allan Montano, Roman Romulo and Dante Jimenez may find it very difficult to land in the top twelve.
And so, if we can only devise a system like the primaries in the US, where only those who are really qualified shall remain among the official candidates, then we can eliminate those who will just make fools of themselves in the august halls of the Upper House. Whenever I think of the Philippine Senate, I think of such great senators as the Sotto brothers, Don Claro M. Recto, Lorenzo Tanada, Jose W. Diokno, Jose P Laurel, Manuel L Quezon, Manuel A Roxas, Don Mariano Jesus Cuenco, Jovito Salonga, Arturo Tolentino, Ambrocio Padilla, Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Raul Manglapus, Ramon Mitra, Salvador Doy Laurel, Mamintal Tamano, the iconic rennaisance man Blas F Ople and Ninoy Aquino.
I hope Vanessa Laxamana will forgive me but I really cannot imagine an Alma Moreno sitting in the chair of either the great Geronima Pecson, Pacita Madrigal Gonzales-Warns, Maria Kalaw Katigbak, Tecla San Andres Ziga, Eva Estrada Kalaw, Helena Benitez, Magnolia Antonino, Letecia Ramos-Shahani, and Santanina Rasul. Until now I am in denial how can some comedians occupy the seats of Don Vicente Rama or Manuel Briones? But, then again, in a world of hard realities, we really can never go back to the golden age of Camilo Osias and Carlos P. Romulo of Don Paulino and Vicente Gullas, when men and women were judged strictly on their merit and fitness. If to do, to quote the sage, were as easy as to know what were good to do... then, we all know the rest.
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