I don’t give a damn ’bout my reputation
I’ve never been afraid of any deviation
And I don’t really care if you think I’m strange
That ain’t gonna change
And I’m never gonna care ’bout my bad reputation

Oh no, not me.

- Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, “Bad Reputation”

OK: when I was Mar Roxas’ed a couple of days ago (for the lack of a better term), I partook of a rather nice dinner that involved pork, shrimp, and some wine.  I asked the Senator about romantic advice: “How would you date a girl, Senator?”  His answer: “Just say yes, comma… but in the end, do what you want to do.  I may be desperate enough to follow that advice myself, but it does make sense.

Facepalm.

Before it will seem that I’m sowing the seeds of hubris or KSP or dissention, lemme explain.  I’m not saying that bloggers are the be-all-end-all of political opinion in cyberspace, and I’m not overselling the importance of blogging.  What I am saying is that there may be a need for political bloggers to disclose their political agendas and political affiliations in their blogs.

Here’s an interesting question: should political bloggers, such as those in FilipinoVoices, disclose their political affiliations and memberships?

I’m not going to say that bloggers are incorruptible, or that bloggers should not write PR for their favorite politicians or people whose politics they agree with.  I am merely for honesty and disclosure.

Keeping it honest, so to speak.  Keepin’ it real, homies.  Mantienendolo verdadero, ese.

I’m not saying it is imperative or required; what I’m saying is that disclosure, especially in blogs that tackle political issues or issues of governance, is necessary.  It’s not necessarily towards the end of objectivity (we all can’t be absolutely objective), but towards fairness.  It is only fair that the politically-inclined reader of a politically-oriented blog knows where the political views of an author are coming from, at what cost the political views came from (if they ever did come at prices; there are many bloggers out there who will do a nicely-worded blog post about a politician for free), and so on and so forth.

To be clear, I’m not insinuating anything.  Yet we are at an important part in history – we are a year away from the 2010 Presidential elections – that we should start to weed out blogs critically, and know where a blogger’s loyalty lies.  I have nothing against Pat Mangubat’s endorsement of Mar Roxas this early in the game, and I have nothing against CaffeineSparks’ disagreement with it.  What I am saying is that maybe – just maybe – the Filipino political blogosphere can benefit from a bit of disclosure here and there.  While a blogger’s open confession of his or her sex life won’t make a world of a difference in politics, it does make a world of a difference if he or she writes about political issues: a blogger always has a bearing on a reader’s public and political pulse. And that bearing comes with the personal responsibility of, at the very least, telling everyone why you’re doing this, and where you’re coming from.

Rather than use the term “paradigm,” I’d rather use the term “perspective.”  As a blogger, you have eyes, and you see things this way.

Keeping it honest, so to speak.  Keepin’ it real, homies.  Mantienendolo verdadero, ese.

Is that an expectation we can demand and expect from the Filipino blogosphere?  Well, no.  At the end of the day (man, I hate that phrase) it all boils down to the reader to discern the fairness and objectivity of a blog post about a politician, a horse’s ass, a horse’s ass masquerading as a politician, or a politician who happens to be a horse’s ass.

Okay… Marocharim’s political affiliations.  I’m an anarchist.  I’m not the type of guy who would propose to bomb the living heck out of Congress, but I don’t subscribe to Government.  I was a leftist militant student activist.  At my age, I have no political agenda; I cannot run for public office yet and stand a chance at winning (besides, I can’t afford it).  Because I do not believe in Government, I am not planning to run for public office when I am old enough.  (Of course, I can only say those things now; after all, in a few months, I’ll probably become more of a political blogger and less of a lyrics translator.)

Whew, that was simple.

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