Our broken and extractive politics

THREE wishes for the year have been made in this column: deal directly with the individuals that al allow a third and fourth telco player under a regime of spectrum reform; and, push for federalism as a logical autonomy. Unfortunately, all the three have been captured by the nature of our politics. Broken and same despite the election of PRRD.

All the three wishes are now mired in politics, with federalism being shot down this early because the two leaders of Congress’ two chambers are shooting at each other. There is no discipline whatsoever, whether in communications or programs, and one- upmanship has been the way the Speaker and the Senate President seem to play their political cards. From term the budgets of politicians who will not support federalism to an ill-timed announcement on the needed plebiscite to voting jointly, thus drowning the Senate by sheer numbers, we are off to a really bad start in pursuing that single most important campaign platform Duterte made. The funny thing is that politicians are wrangling while the people are at a loss because they are left to the elements to understand how political change is to be made. Alvarez and Pimentel are on a collision course in the race for 2022 and beyond, ensuring their political viabilities and vanities whether under a presidential set-up or a shift to a presidential-parliament system.

We thought that political change will happen boldly under a Duterte. An outsider, one who never pursued the traditional political ladder to get to the presidency, Duterte appears to be not interested in getting - fort has been made to create and promote political party reform, - ning turncoats; from abolishing the party list system (PLS) that pretends to be for marginalized groups when study after study shows that PLS has been coopted and raided by political clans and local oligarchs; to maintaining an election administration body that to political dynasty remaining a constitutional promise 31 years after it was included in the Constitution and so much more.

Of late, we have witnessed the evolution of PDP Laban, the adopted party of PRRD, from a Mindanao-based party, small but known to be a principled and programmatic one in the days of Marcos. PDP Laban’s evolution is turning out to be just like that of the Liberal Party. A party that used to be known as in the sorry days of martial rule, whose membership could fit into a Volkswagen, became too big that it rebranded itself, even changing its very essence. From

it became and the rest as they say is history. A history that showed how the Liberal Party callously planned to stay in power, using all means, for three terms, or 18 years, to rebuild the nation on

Eighteen years would have cov Unfortunately for LP and luckily not make it and VP Robredo will have a tougher chance to make it in 2022, if she decides to run at all. So, the recent mantra made during its 72nd anniversary, LP will rise again, is a challenge to the ruling coalition composed of yes, former LPs. PDP Laban is becoming more traditional than any traditional party ever seen in our political of PRRD are revolting. And when your legal counsel calls the base as uneducated, surely one misses the shot the heart and soul of the rabid Duterte supporters who have been shoring up its trust and satisfaction ratings to highs never before seen in the political history of this nation. Duterte can do much, much more with that political capital. He has in fact been using it sparingly because people are used to him doing the impossible and coming out saying

A World Bank study noted the “importance of strong political leadership in a country with a historically weak state where special interests hold sway over policymaking processes. Ultimately, it character, vision for the country, and ability and willingness to muster the national consensus, clear roadblocks, and drive the re oligarchs fund our elections. We cannot get new and young leaders into the system if the system is rigged against them. We cannot defeat dynastic rule if there is no much if Duterte will not pursue political reform now.

And the midterm is very important because that will be the chosen ones elected to office based on his political strength and base of support. The mid - ing on a single term. Whoever will lead his Senate slate will sustain his gains beyond his of - ish their term in 2028. Political lieutenants of PRRD are saying that they will not allow an LP to win in the Senate. A huge order indeed especially with an Aquino as a re- electionist. But the biggest challenge is to get reform-minded candidates into the Senate who will continue to push PRRD’s agenda. And then strategically getting local leaders to win in key provinces and cities. Problem is PRRD has not spent time nurturing a cadre of public service in the Duterte fashion. With just nine months to go of candidacy, Duterte is allowing PDP Laban to pursue the politics of compromise at the local level. Imagine swearing in of 5,000 re me it’s not true but that is the state of politics we have.

When an old guard like the wonder if the leaders of the 17th Congress are men from outer space. And yet there is no Digong wonder if Digong is truly PDP or would he come up with his own slate and use his political capital to get them to win. After all, PDP is - ally, Mindanao accounts for 23.23 percent, Visayas 20.82 percent and Luzon 55.95 percent of the votes as of 2015. Look at all the polls and you will see that PRRD is shored up by Mindanao. A candidate endorsed by PRRD for the Senate will have that measured capacity and the battleground will be in Luzon.

As Mark Twain once said, “in truth I care little about any party’s sounded like why Duterte won and still politicians do not get it.