The overwhelming victory of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. within the Philippine presidential election, thanks not less than partly to the re-writing by social media of the oppression and pillage that characterised his father’s rule within the Seventies and Nineteen Eighties, is just not the one cause to fret concerning the path of Philippine democratic politics.
As anticipated, the Home of Representatives is stuffed with regional dynasts who largely joined Marcos-aligned events and anyway will possible vote for many of what the manager needs in return for rewards for his or her districts or themselves.
However it’s the Senate election end result which can be a bigger trigger for concern given that previously senators, being elected on a nationwide foundation, have had a bent to individualism and a level of independence even from the events of which they’re nominal members.
Probably the most placing characteristic this time is that high of the senate ballot was a newcomer, Robin Padilla, 52, whose reputation stems from a Philippine tendency to elect actors, information readers and sports activities figures within the mistaken perception that can empower them as lawmakers. Padilla’s chief declare to fame is as a film and TV actor finest recognized for “unhealthy man” roles, the gangster as anti-hero, simply as former President Estrada had risen to the highest through heroic roles on behalf of justice.
Padilla was additionally a favourite of President Duterte who in 2016 had given him an absolute pardon in respect of a 1994 conviction for unlawful firearms. Padilla had been sentenced to eight years and served 4 earlier than being launched by President Ramos from New Bilibid jail, the place he promptly made a film set on the jail.
Padilla’s spiritual leanings went from being a Jehovah’s Witness, a minor US-based Christian sect that has a substantial following within the Philippines, to conversion to Islam when he married a Muslim and took the identify Abdul Aziz. He subsequently divorced and married a Christian on the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. His father and kin have political clout in Camarines Norte however Padilla’s sudden ascension to Senate candidate was impelled by Duterte, whose drug struggle killings have been praised by the actor.
His one distinction is that he is among the only a few new faces among the many senators simply elected. One other is journalist and TV persona Raffy Tulfo. The third new one is just not actually new in any respect – Mark Villar follows his mom who adopted his father into the Senate. Different inheritors and/or re-electionists embody two sons (by completely different moms) of the disgraced former President Estrada – Jinggoy Estrada and J.V. Ejercito and Joel Villanueva, son of rich evangelist and founding father of the Jesus is Lord sect “Eddie” Villanueva, who has been elected to the Home as a party-list member.
Alan Peter Cayetano follows a sister and father into the Senate, returnee senator Francis Escudero is the son of a minister beneath Marcos within the Nineteen Eighties, re-electionist Win Gatchalian’s household dominates the politics of Valenzuela, Juan Zubiri is the son of the governor of Bukidnon, Loren Legarda and Risa Hontiveros are the one Robredo supporters to win election. Hontiveros has been essentially the most outspoken liberal voice within the Senate towards drug killings, different extra-judicial killings and “red-tagging” of leftists. In the meantime the Liberal get together has no successors to retiring senators Franklin Drilon and Francis Pangilinan.
Notable losers within the Duterte-driven avalanche have been his critics Leila de Lima, nonetheless confined in “preventive detention” on the navy’s Camp Crame headquarters on nearly definitely trumped-up drug expenses, Antonio Trillanes and Richard Gordon. Left-leaning candidates Neri Colmenares and Chel Diokno additionally fared poorly.
The get together checklist system, which was established within the structure to formally contain political events within the electoral course of for the home of representatives to facilitate multi-winner elections,. has been largely taken over by dynasts and representatives of pro-Duterte and pro-Marcos teams, making a good larger mockery of its unique intent to present illustration to marginalized teams.
