The merry ways of
Balimbings
DEFECTORS continue to knock on President Duterte’s door wanting to pledge loyalty to him the same way they pledged loyalty to the parties they’re abandoning.
In a nutshell, here is how to describe many Filipino politicians: Disloyal and opportunistic.
Party loyalty is not a distinguishing trait of Filipino politicians. The moment a new president is elected, droves of politicians flock to him or her in order to enjoy the perks available from the party in power. They abandon their parties without any remorse.
That’s what happened when Duterte won last year. Great numbers of politicians didn’t wait long to go to Davao City to present their defector’s credentials even before Duterte got sworn in as president.
Filipino politicians go to where the gravy is. They don’t mind being branded as turncoats, or balimbing in the disdainful Filipino word. They crave the reflected power of the new boss in town.
Their excuse is that moving to the new leader’s side will ensure that their districts and constituents will not be deprived of projects and benefits from the party in power. But that’s not the way democratic politics works. And, as Ping Lacson wonders: “Akala ko ba wala ng ‘pork’?”
Democratic politics must always have at least two contending parties or sides. That is to ensure that there will always be a moderating force against the party in power. That ensures that the required checks and balances needed in a democracy remain in place whoever wins the big prize that is the presidency.
A functioning democracy requires a viable and robust opposition always. Ideally, not to obstruct the programs of the party in power but to make sure a fiscalizing force is there to check any potential abuse or excesses by those in power.
This is the reason in some countries, like Britain, the party out of power is called the “loyal opposition” because it has a role to play in preserving the checks and balances of a working democracy. It’s the “loyal opposition” because even though it’s the minority party, it is still loyal to the nation’s interests.
In the advanced countries, politicians, albeit deprived of perks and status, don’t mind being in the opposition. Rather, they take pride in the nobility of being in opposition. They enjoy being rebels with a cause.
Politics in some countries is serious business. Although winning is the ultimate goal, the opposition knows they have a role to play, and that is to provide a counter to the ruling party.
Most of all, they don’t jump parties the moment they lose. In the advanced countries, switching parties is a dishonorable act. Party membership is permanent.
But not in the Philippines. The losing party(ies) here dread to be in the opposition. There are no perks there. And so, shamelessly, they abandon the parties to which they had previously pledged loyalty.
The result: a weak democracy, if it can still be called that.
Many Filipino politicians don’t care. All they care about is whether they belong to the ruling party or not. So, to them, jumping parties, being a balimbing, is not shameful at all.
*** Tantrum Ergo. Miss Universe contestant Rachel Peters pronounces her first name Rey-chel. But some people think it’s more chic if they pronounce it Rey-shel.