The definition of insanity

Albert Einstein once said that the very definition of insanity was “doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.” I can’t help but think of that whenever I think about Philippine politics. In this arena I believe we are all a little insane for thinking that things will ever change when we keep doing the same thing over and over again.

I can’t help but feel that reading the news is repetitive these days because despite the promise of “change” (in however many months), has anything really changed at all? We still seem to be neck-deep in corruption, red tape, and politics and the worst part about it is that we don’t really know how things are going to pan out because our leader can turn on a dime changing his mind almost immediately about something he was immensely passionate about the day before.

I believe that when 16 million people voted for President Duterte they believed they were voting for a change. They thought that, for once, they were doing something different, and hoping for a different outcome. I understand the sentiment. I believe the frustrations from former administrations all did their part in getting our current president elected into office.  However, change does not just happen with one man alone. When he is still surrounded by the same politicians and the same mudslinging, corruption issues, and deep-seated power plays that have always existed in Philippine politics how can we truly expect to see a different result.

Take for instance the recent survey conducted to gauge the potential Senate seat winners for the May 2019 elections. It’s the same names, the same faces despite Filipinos claiming that nothing concrete has been done or changed for the better in their daily lives. If this is the case, will putting the same people back in power really give you a different outcome?

To be clear I am not saying there are not some good picks in the bunch. The names of some veteran and hardworking politicians are included in the forecast however you also have those who we know are only there because they are popular or because the people “like” them. Liking someone or knowing their names from the movies or the news is hardly a good enough reason to give them political power. In the end – do we even need to wonder why we are still in the position we are in?

I do have to admit, however, that infamy or even social media fame is no guarantee of getting voted in. Mocha Uson’s five million plus social media followers did not help her land among the survey’s “Magic 12.” In fact, she wasn’t even close. I guess there is something to be said about popularity not being the only factor to securing enough votes.

Personally, I still hope that Filipinos still exercise stronger discernment when approaching all elections. I worry that part of the problem is just laziness to really look into the candidates and learn about why they should be in power. We seem to just be willing to accept the “names we know” and vote for old reliable politicians who have built political capital on simply being re-elected time and time again. Now is the perfect time to think things through before going back to the polls. Perhaps if we were willing to be more diligent as voters we could finally expect things to really truly change.

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Speaking of things remaining the same – is there anything more predictable in the Philippines than those in power afraid to truly act automatously for fear of angering those with more power? It happens all the time. If you commit a crime and you are connected enough you can get off scot-free. However if you find yourself on the bad end of a power player even the simplest infraction can be used as the weapon of your demise.

This seems to be the case for the ongoing battle that Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno faces in the Supreme Court. Without going into the details of her case (I don’t have to since it’s all over the news), I’m still quite surprised at just how much time and resources are pouring into assuring her removal from the SC, a removal that should only be done through impeachment.

However, Sereno has put herself on the wrong end of President Duterte’s ire and the administration has led the charge in finding anyway to remove her from power with a quo warranto petition against her that seeks to remove her from the SC via a method other than impeachment – an unprecedented move in the Supreme Court and one that could shake the institution to its very core even going as far as “scaring” potential justices and judges from acting fairly and impartially in the future for fear of facing the same fate.

It is no secret that Sereno is not well liked in the SC and that she has made some questionable decisions that need to be explained but at the heart of the matter are the law and the Constitution that the SC has vowed to protect and uphold. They should not let the outside circus surrounding this situation dictate how they handle this case. If they truly want to remove Sereno they need to do it legally and without bias and pressure from the current administration.

Indeed, right now more than ever, trust has to be restored in the judiciary and people need to know that despite the president’s personal agenda the law of the land will always come first. If the SC believe their impeachment case is warranted with enough evidence then they should proceed down that avenue and the other proceedings should not matter.

I guess we’ll see which way they decide to go this May.