Electing clowns and plunderers

‘Natauhan na ang Amerika. Tayo, matatauhan pa kaya?’. This sentiment flooded social media after the US midterm elections. The so-called Blue Tsunami offers an important democratic lesson: political power is never permanently owned by those who hold it. Voters can challenge entrenched political interests and change the direction of government. But this requires more than dissatisfaction. It requires an electorate willing to organize and make informed choices.

The late Senator Nene Pimentel teaches us: ‘Good governance is not just the business of the governor but also the governed.’ The American experience reminds us of the importance of elections as an instrument of political accountability.  For the Philippines, this should be an urgent warning that we can no longer take congressional elections for granted. We cannot be satisfied simply rating about the untenable status quo. We must assume a more critical approach towards candidates seeking seats in Congress.

As the 2028 elections approach, Filipinos should become more demanding of those seeking legislative office. Instead of being impressed by campaign jingles, celebrity endorsements and political surnames, voters should ask three fundamental questions.

First: What specific problems do you intend to solve, and what legislation will you pursue to address them?

Candidates should be able to identify the country’s pressing problems and explain how their legislative agenda will address them. It is not enough to promise progress, development and better lives. Ask for concrete proposals, realistic implementation strategies and measurable outcomes. A candidate who cannot articulate a legislative agenda has little business asking for a seat in Congress.

Second: How will you ensure that public funds are spent properly and that government officials are held accountable?

Congress is not simply a lawmaking institution. It exercises oversight over government spending and the implementation of public programs. Candidates must explain their positions on budget transparency, congressional insertions, infrastructure spending, corruption and the misuse of public resources. Ask whether they will support independent investigations, disclose their political and financial interests, and hold even their political allies accountable. We need legislators who understand that taxpayers’ money is not political currency.

Third: What makes you qualified to represent us, and how will you remain accountable to your constituents?

A famous surname, celebrity status or financial capacity is not a qualification for public office. Candidates should demonstrate relevant experience, integrity, an understanding of public policy and a genuine commitment to community concerns. More importantly, ask how they intend to listen to constituents between elections.

These three questions are not complicated. But they can expose the difference between those seeking public office to work and those seeking it for personal or family advantage. If voters are truly sick and tired of their purgatory, then they must take heed of this warning.

A little over 80% of us know nothing about the 1987 Constitution. But for sure, many of us have memorized the Preamble. This would be a good time to remind ourselves of this solemn pledge:

‘We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.’

With this reminder, we should also reflect on the intense discussion in El Filibusterismo between Padre Florentino and the dying Simoun on the various faces of revolt. The strong words of the prelate in this exchange of views continue to be the subject of debate amongst political scholars and historians:

“An immoral government presupposes a demoralized people, a conscienceless administration, greedy and servile citizens in the settled parts, outlaws and brigands in the mountains. Like master, like slave! Like government, like country!”

Filipinos augur change with the stunning congressional revolt in the US. But voters must first stop treating our congressional elections as entertainment. Can we now see it as choosing lawmakers, not auditioning celebrities? Can we cease electing those who use the public coffers as their family’s cash cow? Can we stop entrusting our children’s future on clowns and plunderers?