To ‘feed at the public trough’
The election fever is heating up, and it is time for a reality check. We need to know where we are in our electoral politics today.
Most Filipino politicians have become so cynical in their treatment of public office at election time that they find the need to resort to promoting their family dynasties, squeezing contributions from business, or buying votes. Thus, Filipino voters and citizens have also become highly cynical of candidates, distrusting their reasons for running, suspecting and exposing their pretensions and rejecting much of the gimmickry.
When asked why they are running for public office, most candidates are ready to profess their intention to serve the nation and do all they can for their chosen constituency. “Public service” is the cliche of choice among candidates. “Patriotism” is the other favorite.
There was a time in the distant past when Filipino politicians brought sterling records, real achievements, ideals and serious policy programs to their campaign for office. There was also a time when we could believe that a candidate was on a crusade for something.
That time seems to be gone. Most politicians today cynically believe that Filipino voters can be persuaded to vote for anything and anyone remotely popular or salable.
It is highly suspect, though, that this mindset would serve them well. It may even set up many candidates for a rude awakening this coming May.
Filipino voters today know better and are more aware of their civic responsibility. We suspect that after all those years of denigrating intellect and competence, in favor of good looks and popularity, a major change is about to happen. We could see next year Philippine politics being turned upside down.
Today, the Filipino voters and the public will not take candidates at their word. This is what the public and the media really believe.
Politicians run for office because they want to “feed at the public trough,” so the popular idiom goes.
It denotes the practice of politicians and their hangers-on of fattening themselves on public funds. Having experienced the perks of being on the government payroll (with handsome salaries and allowances and other benefits), many elected officials want to stay forever on the public payroll. Once termed out of office, they want to make a comeback. Even when they are on trial in court for graft charges, they want to come out to run again.
This may be one reason why politicians never stop running for office in every election – they are addicted to the idea of freeloading on the public treasury. (Those who are not guilty of this need not raise a howl.)
And if they can put their entire family on the public payroll, they will do it, too.
This is why Philippine elections have become a travesty of democracy. This is why political dynasties have mushroomed in our country.
This has happened because authentic political parties have disappeared from our politics. We do not have parties where individuals interested in politics could learn the art of political persuasion and leadership, before venturing out to run for elective office. This discipline of politics is hard to find these days.
Candidacy for office today is hardly about public service or solving policy problems. It is mostly about feeding at the public trough, and becoming a highly-paid pensioner of government forever.
If many voters today are angry and contemptuous of politicians, it is because our electoral politics has made us so.
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