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Party’s over
MANILA — When a political party gets old and outlives its usefulness, it gets deserted. Party desertion can happen in the Philippines where a political party does not represent ideas and ideals but merely the personalities and coalitions beneath its wings.
These individuals are brought together by a common belief (for the moment) or are united (temporarily) to fight a common enemy. Unlike in other countries such as the US where political parties (Republican or Democrat) are well-respected institutions whose ideals are revered by its members, Philippine political parties are merely fads borne by pragmatism—- fads that have a convenient beginning and an unavoidable end.
LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD a.k.a. “the administration party” was a formidable political force since its inception in 1991 when it was formed as LAKAS CMD (Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats/LAKAS-NUCD) and catapulted former military general and EDSA revolution lead star Fidel V. Ramos to the presidency. The new party was also fueled by remnants of the previous administration party, LABAN and all its other mutations within the tumultuous Cory Aquino reign.
The ensuing decades were to be the heydays of the LAKAS CMD party. At the peak of its dominance (or usefulness) it has seen two of its own elected as presidents, Ramos, and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. LAKAS CMD was what Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) and Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) were in the 70’s and 80’s respectively, until they met their end wrought by the dying loyalties of their members.
These “has beens” were abandoned by its members who after divesting them of resources and connections, severed their party affiliations in pursuit of political survival.
LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD has been seeing (what is perhaps) the beginning of its end as early as 2008. LAKAS CMD coalesced with Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) in a haphazard union (shotgun marriage) meant to fortify the party, find strength in additional (KAMPI) numbers. The goal was to ensure its survival beyond May 2010.
Ironically, LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD looks like it will not see its finish line. Many of its supposed loyal members now “want out” for a reason some of them were at least honest enough to articulate: No money, no honey.
Party members say they have not been getting support from the administration party. By support, they mean funding, which they have waited patiently for, until they realized that the clock is ticking not in their favor. Other parties with well-oiled political machinery had given them a head start in the campaign.
And the surveys are not helping. All the publicity a 3-cornered fight (between Villar, Noynoy and Erap) is getting had been a nail-biting moment for LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD as members fret over the fact that administration presidential bet Gibo Teodoro is not even a contender in that supposed 3-cornered fight.
And Gibo’s survival is really reflective of the party members’ own political endurance: A political party is only good up to its last standard bearer hence they shy away from him and from an impending loss.
But what is perhaps most potent poison which led to the definite death of LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD is the absence of a decisive push by its leaders, particularly President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Coming from an unpopular presidency, her active endorsement of a successor is a “kiss of death” that she cannot freely, decisively and wholeheartedly give—- if the administration bet is to even survive.
With the May 2010 elections happening in less than a month, the remaining 3 weeks are critical for LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD. Many more are expected to follow suit “like it’s Titanic sinking”, in the words of Former House Speaker Jose De Venecia.
A party may die but its death is not its ultimate end. It is known that political parties take on different forms through coalitions and meticulous retrofitting and possible renaming.
And this is also the reason why voters in general do not adhere to party loyalty. Political parties are a chop suey of desirables and undesirables that voters tend to sift and sort, pick and drop, than vote straight.
As parties themselves are not institutions that represent a belief system, our elections inevitably boil down to a battle of personalities—- a manifestation of stunted growth and acute political immaturity.
Without the backing of a firmly-grounded political party, candidates are free to offer the unreachable stars while voters end up doing a last-minute shopping for a president—- and get snagged by false advertising.
The lies are all they have as basis.
