Wanted: People’s Bitch
February 5th, 2009 by Carlo "Wauks" OpleI was listening to Adel Tamano’s guesting on the morning show at 89.9 FM a few days ago and he was talking about how politicians can become slaves of their campaign contributors. He coined a really nice term – “People’s Bitch”. He said this in the context that politicans should not be beholden to their contributors and they should really focus on being the servants of the Filipino people. The sad reality is that politicians in the Philippines have a long history of corruption and they are weak when it comes to temptation due to the massive amounts of money needed to run a campaign. Campaign contributors, or should we call them “investors”, are usually corporations, special interest groups, or just really insanely rich individuals who turn the politician from the people’s servant to their “bitch”. In exchange for the funding, they will ask for favors which will make them even richer. It’s not really a contribution but an investment since there is a relatively good ROI.
Now hold on to that thought for a moment and let me digress a bit. I went to a forum yesterday afternoon with featured US President Obama’s campaign consultant, Jo Hansen. One of the topics he discussed was how they mobilized the people to rally behind Obama’s campaign and how much money they raised. Guess what?
13,000,000 Americans voluntarily opted in Obama’s website and the campaign was able to raise around $600 million US dollars through contributions.
And that is what validates and solidifies the mandate of President Obama. Instead of turning his attention on getting more contributions from companies and various groups, he turned to his supporters asking for low amounts of $1-$5. Those who were really generous gave more than what the campaign was asking for. This resulted to a massive surge of funds which the Obama camp used to crush the Republicans. According to Jo Hansen, the Obama camp spent 3x more money than their opponent because of the influx of funds from their supporters. Why is it that in the Philippines it’s the other way around? The supporters are the ones expecting money from the candidate? Hahaha!
Mr. Jo Hansen, President Obama’s Campaign Consultant
What does this mean for the Philippines? Well, it can literally mean nothing since the internet and credit card penetration in the US is far superior compared to our country. However, I would like to look deeper into this and zero in on the fact that the people did mobilize under the candidate and they were more than happy to give what they can since they really believed in what he stood for and what he wanted to do when he got to the Presidency.
In other words, President Obama is not the corporate bitch. He is not a slave to the elite. If ever he has anyone to thank for his win, it will have to be the people. They voted for him and they gave him the money to launch his campaign.
I don’t have a clue as to how we will reach that kind of political maturity in this country. What I do know is that our current system sucks like hell. We read about it everyday – government officials abusing their power while stealing millions of pesos that could be used to fund education reforms. We have so many politicians who will do anything to preserve themselves and their cronies.
Adel Tamano’s interview and the forum showed me a very glaring contrast between what should be and what’s the current situation in local politics. I don’t know how but we really do need a “People’s Bitch” because unless someone comes and breaks this cycle of corruption, this country will continue to spiral downwards. When that will happen? Hopefully in 2010 but so far no one is stepping up to the challenge.
February 5, 2009 at 1:02 pm
It would help a lot if the economy three months before elections would tank too. The U.S. economy during the last two quarters of 2008 tanked by an almost minus 5 %.
His margin should have been larger. Do not mistake his unique method for raising funds to the differing constituencies in the U.S.
Let us see what happens when things start to really bite.
February 5, 2009 at 1:38 pm
As I have written in another post here, politicians claim they were “forced” to receive jueteng payolas because people are soliciting money from them.
Of course, these are no willing victims. I believe they pocketed more than what they forked out to people.
February 5, 2009 at 2:15 pm
imho, there is a greater need to reform how political parties are formed. because there simply isn’t a mechanism for ordinary people to support a candidate of their choice.
February 5, 2009 at 2:19 pm
@Cocoy: I agree with you 100%. Political parties in the Philippines remain to be more personality based. Political parties here have no value except for funding and machinery that they offer during elections.
February 5, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Technology is a great leveler of playing fields. I guess that’s what happened there. How do we make it happen here? It will! Unfortunately there is still that P2-P5 billion amount you need to run a credible Presidential campaign in the Philippines. It’s to do with the primitive polling and canvassing system which means you need thousands of lawyers and campaign staffers just to make sure you are not cheated or your supporters terrorized on Election Day. This is said to be half of a candidate’s budget. The other half is what the campaign spends in the run up to the election itself.
If the Comelec could secure the vote the way the Constitution demands, it could knock down the “admission price” of presidential races and allow fresh blood to be elected to high office.
But that is in fact the dirty lil secret isn’t it? The politicians want a cheatable system.
February 5, 2009 at 11:25 pm
It’s like this…..in the USA the americans voted for Obama……and now their president is Obama………In the last philippine presidential election the filipinos voted for an actor………now we have a bitch as president
February 6, 2009 at 12:09 am
Democracy to work must go to the grass root level.
We need good informations and spread of informations to all levels of society. This is possible due to the spread of the internet use. Pres. Obama utilized the internet to spread his campaign agendas and messages.
The defect here is: we simply do not care of who
are elected. Who will rule us. Who will promote our agendas. Who will manage the affairs of our
country.
So, you find Political Opportunists, incompetent
celebrities, other sorts of dubious characters
running for political offices and winning.
We, the people are the employers of these politicians. When you employ a fellow to manage the affairs of your country. You conduct and require the following:
1. Submit his or her resume.
2. Conduct a background check. If what he or she claims are really true.
3. Conduct a good interview. If he or she has really the brains and guts to do a good job.
Politicians give us empty slogans like: we are for the poor, we will solve your problems, we feel your pains, we are the best, the moons and the stars will be yours when we are elected, etc…
We swallow the disinformations hooks, lines and
sinkers. So, we get impostors running our country.
February 6, 2009 at 12:42 am
the 600 million-dollar contribution to obama’s campaign is still raising a lot of eyebrows and may become the subject of a full-blown investigation. the author of this post ignores the alleged bank-rolling from the likes of oprah & hollywood types, ultra liberal media, leftist businessmen like george soros and ted turner, and even foreign interest groups. i don’t think the bulk of the windfall came from the average joe blows and welfare recipients. in any event, the last presidential election could be the most profligate in u.s. history at a time when the country is reeling from world-wide economic tsunami.
speaking of the philippines, as long as private financing of elections is the order of the day, only the wealthiest and most corrupt could ever hope to “win” an election. there has to be a workable system of limiting election spending, and a strict control on private contributions and self-financing. a return to a two-party system is a must to enable the country to channel all private contributions, in addition to public funds set aside for election campaign purposes, to an election fund to be apportioned to the two parties.
i may be naive, but why should elections be so unreasonably expensive anyway?
February 6, 2009 at 3:44 am
btw, dirt poor people (or welfare recipients who live on dole-outs), and those who make less than survival wages, who contribute the maximum allowable should be automatically traced and investigated. it should be the responsibility of the recipient to make sure the contribution is clean and legal.
February 6, 2009 at 5:57 am
That is clearly being naive – it cannot touch ground. When was the last time any or all of those conditions proposed made good copy? Never was.
This is not America.
February 6, 2009 at 10:21 am
All over the world people are slowly realizing that their government are not working for their benefit.
They are demanding changes. Protectionist sentiments are rising as rising unemployment are forcing governments to institute measures to protect their own economies.
Here we are busy stroking ourselves about how to get people involved in elections. Apart from people of color including Hispanics who went for him, Obama was able to wean away the young white crowd from the Republican side. He used the new media quite effectively for that purpose. Only 62-63 % of eligible voters actually voted.
The Philippine political economy is totally different. Most of the limited people (young) here use the internet for fun. We have a 80-90% of eligible voters who actually vote in elections. Elections are primarily marketing events and you get paid to vote. Most journalists are positioning themselves for the gravy train.
All this talk of rhetorical statements of change during Obama’s run in an election is now facing the reality of a looming depression and ideological based politics.
So much for post partisanship. At least they have real politics.
Here in the Philippines we still do not have ideological based politics so what will one organize people on?
Jun Lozada? Corruption? Divine powers of GMA? The Church?
With all due respect to Mr. Ople who is involved in an online casino what is or is there a political line being espoused by any of the candidates.
At least Obama while running pretended to be for workers rights and maintaining abortion rights for women. He had a political line.
DJB should run for office as he has an ideology based platform. The only other group is Joma’s group.
Apart from formulating catch phrases can Tamano come up with a political line apart from motherhood statements. Can Mar Roxas come up with one. Look at Loren. A caricature of a talking head.
Enough of this pro poor B.S. and fighting corruption.
February 6, 2009 at 10:42 am
karlpopper, it’s not a matter of being “good copy”.
if you have something to say that makes sense, say it for a change. and so what if this is not america?
are you saying filipinos are not capable of change?
February 6, 2009 at 11:06 am
Let us look at the recent events in the U.S. Several of Obamas appointees have had trouble with their tax returns. How come they have an open system like that. They allow lobbyists. The guy Daschle got nailed for not declaring for the sue of a car and driver given to him as a gift. plus other stuff.
How come this slogan mouthing bright boy Tamano cannot suggest a policy framework for doing away with the absolute bank secrecy law?
There is no such thing in modern democracies.
Parati na lang slogans on corruption.
Casinos are also known fronts for money laundering and tax evasion. You do not ban them but you make transactions transparent.
That is how markets function.
Transparency is the bane of corrupt governments.
That is why illegal drugs, smuggling, illegal gambling and white slavery prosper.
All this nonsense about congressional hearings are hamstrung by secrecy sanctioned by stupid laws.
GMA started her corrupt ways when she entered government at the DTI. It is common knowledge.
February 6, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Carlo,
You caught me there. For a moment I though you were paraphrasing Joey Salceda, given that he’s already found his “luckiest bitch.”
Seriously now, me thinks we are looking not for a “pople’s bitch . We have an oversupply of the dark kind who return the mandate they get at the polls by black-balling us and ‘black-suede’ing the suffering masses.
Many of the aspiring public servants have the right political pedigree and evemn their own personal political warchests, contribute or stolen.
TRhere is also no shortage of the ‘right’ messaging, the avowed commitment to the interests of the underprivileged, the marginalized.
But after all the chest beating, the song-and-dance routines, and the successful runs I have yet to really live under a leader with through heart, true nationalism, true vission.
February 6, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Errata: “There is no shortage…”
“…I have yet to really live under a leader with tru heart…”
February 7, 2009 at 12:03 am
Politicians running for offices, especially high
positions need funds to finance their campaigns.
This is where the rich people and corporations come to offer the money.
We are still in the mindset. That if a politician
runs for office. We have to extort him or her as much as we can what he can offer in cash or in kind. So, some politician do as we want them to do, using the finances from rich people and corporations. To get elected.
After they are elected. The rich people and
corporations want the return of their investments.
The politicians want to be sure that finances for
the next reelection are available. So, he does
corruptions, diversion of funds, disappearance of
funds, etc…
The rich people and the corporations not to be
outdone. Also do things to recover their investments. And take advantage of the situation.
What are we in power for ?
It is a vicious cycle of political idiocy. If we
can break the cycle. We may produce a better
government. It can be done. It is very hard. But,
it can be done.
February 7, 2009 at 8:09 am
obama himself said it, only in america can his story happen.
baby steps muna tayo para huwag madapa.
did anyone see that footage of senator jinggoy inspecting hanjin industries in subic? he gave them a failing grade. he looked like he was even ready to taekwando-kick someone. i wonder how many filipinos got impressed/inspired by those types of actions.
we can continue and let yahoos like him be the inspiration, or the talented and capable can rise and compete for that national inspiration. just in this blog i see many willing and able. try to inspire in your own ways. as long as we have hope, we have a chance.
February 7, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Wow, so many comments. >.<;
@Ding: Yes, I’ve also yet to meet someone with a leader who I can really support 100%. Like what I said above, we need someone who is genuine and can inspire people to actually ACT and support him. The problem right now is that even with good platforms, politicians won’t be able to win unless they have the charisma and the PR to back it up. It’s the brutal and sad reality of politics.
@J_AG: I don’t work for an online casino lol. =_=
I agree with you on what you said on ideology. I didn’t mention that in detail in what I wrote because I was focusing more on the other side of the campaign which is the “inspire and mobilize” part.
Like what I said in the article above, this is a reflection that I wrote based on what I heard from the radio, compounded by the seminar I attended.
Talking about political ideology, political parties, etc. is subject matter for a different post.
February 10, 2009 at 6:25 am
When one says, “This is not America” – that ought to carry a lot meanings – to even attempt to enumerate them would be traced to infinity.
The point is, why do we always have to compare ourselves with America and to use American standards for all that we have long for our country when all these do not belong to the same class nor a subset of a the main?
That is just my point on issuing that since this is not America, we must only focus on ourselves, our own collective psyche, our own choice, our own option.
If that does not make sense, I don’t know what is.