Of Blood and Money

Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court rendered a decision affirming the resolution of the COMELEC ousting George “ER” Ejercito Estregan of his position as Governor of the Province of Laguna due to election overspending. The decision, in a convincing fashion with a 12-0 vote, is a huge blow to one of the prominent family of politicians in our country – the Estradas.

ER Ejercito is the son of George Estregan, a famous actor of Filipino action movies, usually acting as a villain. He is also a nephew of the previous President and now City of Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, who was born Jose Marcelo Ejercito. In addition, ER is also the cousin of Jinggoy Estrada and JV Ejercito. Jinggoy Estrada, who is now detained in a cozy 32-square meter condo like room in Camp Crame, was among the porky politicians involved in the pork barrel controversy spearheaded by Janet Lim-Napoles. While JV Ejercito, who also have a pending disqualification case in COMELEC for election overspending, is the current Congressman of the Lone District of City of San Juan. The Ejercitos, same with other political clans like the Arroyos, Marcoses, Villars, Aquinos, Ampatuans, Revillas, Enriles and Binays had a long list of relatives handling different government positions, aside from the aforementioned.

But how do these Philippine political dynasties came to exist and what are the factors that fueled their continued existence? Is it pride or legacy? -- or money?

Philippine political dynasties can be traced back to the pre-Spanish era. During the Maharlika period of that era, the secluded islands of the Philippines are being ruled by dominant local elites. This system was institutionalized under the Spanish rule where economic and political power was restricted to a small ‘mestizo’ elite known as principalia. Though the principalia system was abolished after the arrival of the Americans, the system of a small group of elite families controlling a certain territory continued to exist and flourished.

Member politicians under these political dynasties would say that they exist because politics run in their blood. Is it really the main reason? A big nope. Greed for money and lust of power, not surprisingly, are the main reasons why a person belonging to a political clan is prompted to enter politics. It is the desire to continue the monopoly of power and the satisfaction of profiting from the money of the people entrusted to them by virtue of their position, that these type of politicians continued to strive and multiplied. This greed for money and power has demonstrated to be sustained, not just by the funds of the politicians, but also through the financial assistance from their relatives – both funds of which are stolen from the coffer of the hardworking Filipino taxpayers.

The irresistible attraction to immediate financial gain with less or without any effort have incited even some of the ideal politicians to join the club. These ideal politicians include those who had noble goals when they enter politics but later on engulfed with the corruptions and ill norms of Philippine politics and converted to trapo or traditional politicians. This disease is prevalent, and it is spreading so fast. Political reform, which is now a cliché, is a thing of the past that has lost its relevance. Our country does not need political reform, it needs total political overhaul; and political overhaul, I may say, includes the dissolution of these political dynasties.

Surprisingly, the disqualification of ER Ejercito was the first case decided by the COMELEC and the Supreme Court involving the excess election spending despite the fact that our election laws has long been in existence. In addition, the COMELEC and the Sandiganbayan continually admitted that hundreds of disqualification and administrative cases of government officials are still pending in their respective offices. These volume of cases, if decided promptly and fairly, how I wish this is case, may somehow serve as a threat to these corrupt politicians and probably may diminish the prolifering of these political dynasties.

To sum up, this present case, which is the disqualification of a politician from a prominent political clan may somehow serve as a flicker of hope to us Filipinos to start the political overhaul that we need, and not considered as another type of political maneuvering.