In review and in prospect
As the traditional Opposition (associated with the communists and the Aquino “yellow” narrative) fade into mere footnotes in the national political discourse, lines are being drawn amongst partisans loyal to one or the other politician or personality within the so-called “Unity Team” that had characterised the administration bloc in the lead up to and immediately following the 2022 national elections. Specifically, loyalties are being tested as rifts form between the camp loyal to current President Bongbong Marcos and the camp loyal to his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The disappointing — and increasingly boring — aspect of all this is in how cults of personality continue to define Philippine politics. Though there may be the odd “debate” over principles, ideologies, and issues, much of these, like the vast majority of such “conversations” remain framed within the petty space of personal loyalties. As such, debate and conversations are almost always degenerate if not outright shut down by summary judgments of the rightness or wrongness of one’s arguments on the mere basis of a political personality one had been associated with. Again, this is not surprising considering Philippine politics is, itself, no more than just that — a battle between personalities and not much of ideas.
Perhaps compounding this is the fact that much of this “debate” happens on social media — an environment that rewards quick off-the-cuff responses in bite-sized snippets of thought. Add to this the short attention spans of a generation coming of age that had been reared on digital diets and we get the readily-observed edging out of well-considered thinking by the noise of rapid-fire social media posts.
What’s at stake in the 2026 mid-term elections? The 2028 elections? Why even look that far ahead when there are immediate concerns that beg obvious solutions that can be discussed over the near term within the frame of the current government and resources at hand? And even if we do dare think “strategically” about what will keep Filipinos awake at night over the next three to six years (therefore the issues most pertinent to the elections of those years), the discussion will most likely not go beyond who to rally around. Rather than discuss the things that matter, Filipinos would rather discuss who matters.
Looking to externalities for salvation — it’s a hard habit to break. It’s time Filipinos grow up and realise that one’s fortune comes from within a small circle that one can directly influence. A person that you can see on a screen is not where your fortunes lie.
Last week’s blog posts
Red tagging is not a crime. Communist genocide, on the other hand, is.
May 17, 2023 by benign0
"Their rabid supporters merely pointed a finger at a person they summarily deemed a 'reactionary' and their respective Gestapos took it from there. The very same 'revolution' is being mounted by the [CPP-NPA]."