Incompetent Senate bets should be ashamed of themselves

The greatest problem about the next Philippine Senate is that incompetence packaged by popularity is more likely to prevail over credentials and excellence in qualifications and character. The other most probable malady is the strong likelihood of exacerbating the family dynasties in the Upper House of the Philippine Congress. The 119 million Filipinos will be governed by the policy making of less than 10 strongest family dynasties.

Since the only requirement under the Philippine Constitution, aside from citizenship, residence, age and voter registration, is that the aspirant should know how to read and write, the most effective control against incompetents from running for senator is their own sense of "hiya" if any. Or, if you wish, a sense of delicadeza. If they are actors, boxers, comedians or sons and daughters of trapos, they should shut up and spare the country of their audacious incompetence. If they have nothing useful to bring to that august body, they better spare the whole nation from their incompetent audacity.

If they do not know how to legislate, if they do not even have any basic training and experience in parliamentary rules and procedures, the best gift they can give to the nation and to the people is not to run. I remember the famous line that the late Dolphy was always quoted about, which was: "Ayaw kung tumakbo, baka ma disgrasya, manalo pa ako." To the late iconic Rodolfo Quizon, running is very easy for actors, but the problem starts when one wins. That is why these actors nowadays who have the temerity to run, the audacity to insist on becoming solons, and win over more qualified men and women find themselves too embarrassed attending sessions and committee hearings, where they have totally zero knowledge of what is being discussed. They look like huge incongruities inside a House of legal luminaries like resource persons who are law professors, justices and eminent jurists and political scientists.

And those who might be competent but are members of the same family, why display too much greed for power? They should have the decency to allow other highly qualified senatoriables to win. Just imagine that there are only 24 members (now only 23 minus Angara) of the august Senate, and there are two half-brothers from tiny San Juan, a mother and son (soon a brother and sister) from small Las Pinas, and another brother and sister from a smaller Taguig. The Constitution has mandated Congress to pass the Anti-Dynasty Law but people, like these shameless icons of power monopolies, are putting too many roadblocks to such legislation, simply because they will be the first to be affected. The Filipino electorate should wake up and expose these political concentrations of powers, and should vote to diffuse them.

But back to incompetence, we have nothing against actors, comedians, boxers and basketball players per se. But since legislation is not really their cup of tea, since they were not trained for it, since their talents are suited elsewhere, they should stay away from the Senate. By insisting to run and by winning not due to credentials but due to popularity, they are inflicting serious damage to our government, and committing grave injustice to the Filipino people. Their entry into the fray will continue to dislodge competent candidates who have no popular following like them. These popular people should focus where their real talents are and excel in their craft and profession. They are not fit to become solons because most of them do not even understand the intricacies and nuances of law and lawmaking.

But then again, they are elected by a more incompetent and reckless electorate. Therefore, we can conclude that the biggest fault is on the people who do not use their heads and their conscience in choosing the senators. These imprudent and unthinking voters should not complain if we have "second rate, trying hard copycats" to borrow Cherry Gil's famous line, in the Senate. This country shall remain a third world struggling nation led by impertinent actors, comedians, boxers and basketball players, who insist on making laws.

We should pray that this nation of almost 120 million people be spared not just from China, from typhoons, calamities, pestilence and famine but also by incompetent but popular actors, who insist on becoming in charge of determining the policy directions of this nation during these perilous times. Lord, have mercy on our country. Save our people from the audacity of the unqualified and from the recklessness of the popular incompetents.