New Politics or Political Opportunism?

4 March 2010

Some months ago, Makabayan, a political party composed of progressive party lists such as Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Anak Pawis and Kabataan, entered into an alliance with Nacionalista Party presidential bet Manny Villar and running mate Loren Legarda. Makabayan also got two slots in the NP senatorial lineup for Satur Ocampo and Lisa Masa as guest candidates. Since then, the two Makabayan candidates have been romping off the campaign trail with Villar’s party.

Not a few eyebrows – progressive eyebrows – were raised at what some consider as an unlikely team up. Why didn’t Makabayan partner with Noynoy, heir of people power icons Ninoy and Cory Aquino? If not Noynoy, why Villar – the quintessence of big-spending trapos? Whatever happened to the idea of principled alliance? Doesn’t it smack of political opportunism on the part of a group that has won the respect of both friend and foe for consistently taking the higher moral ground in an otherwise sordid arena of politics?

Without doubt, those who agonize with questions like that have hoped that the upcoming elections would yield not a little gain for a new kind of politics. Progressive party-lists representatives in the Lower House have accomplished much more in proportion to their minuscule number through their advocacies based on idealism. They are leading the people in a direction away from traditional politics. Isn’t Makabayan moving backwards when it forged a tactical alliance with Villar?

These apprehensions may be genuine but sadly misplaced. New politics is not about personalities. That is, it’s not about Manny Villar, Noynoy Aquino. Bro. Eddie or about Erap Estrada. It’s all about the people, the great masses of people whose voting election after election has never translated into a better life for them and their children. In the final analysis, it would not really matter if it’s Villar or Gordon or Teodoro that wins the contest. Life for the people would remain unchanged – in the politics of personalities. When people who call themselves progressive say that Villar is a wrong choice by Makabayan – still they continue to be held under the sway of traditional personality-oriented politics.

If this election is going to make a difference at all, it would be Makabayan’s transition from the periphery to mainstream politics. Should Makabayan’s alliances with mainstream parties and traditional candidates from the national down to the local level succeed, it would be unprecedented. For the first time in the nation’s history the really marginalized would be represented, albeit very thinly, in all levels of government. For, no one can doubt who Makabayan represents. Liberals and progressives need to realize that the marginalization of radical politics is the “peaceful” and “democratic” way of preserving the status quo. The other and more effective way is, of course, the physical elimination of progressive individuals and groups.

Makabayan and the Villar camp have agreed on five advocacy points both in the campaign and in a Villar presidency: (1) a reconsideration of economic liberalization and globalization in favor of a self-reliant and sustainable economic development; (2) an effective land redistribution program that condones the beneficiaries’ indebtedness; (3) justice and compensation to victims of human rights abuses from the time of Marcos to the present; (4) holding officials of the Arroyo government accountable for charges of corruption, electoral fraud and human rights violations; and (5) renegotiation of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement and other unequal foreign treaties. If this is not principled alliance, I don’t know what is. It should be noted that none of the other presidential wannabes has gone beyond motherhood statements for their platform of government.

The same kind of alliance work is being done at the congressional, provincial and municipal/city levels. The main consideration is which candidate or political group is open to collaboration with Makabayan both in the campaign and in governance. Of course, Makabayan would never negotiate with individual candidates whose moral behavior cannot stand public scrutiny and of proven incompetence in public service. In other words, what matters more than the individual qualities of candidates is Makabayan’s introduction into the political mainstream via alliances with traditional politicians. On those alliances will be propagated the seeds of new politics.