Standing up against the conspiracy of political dynasties

The power broker of the grand conspiracy between the Solid North and the Liquid South (liquid because of loads of campaign money) was the brainchild of no less than GMA, one of the most well-known political operators in Philippine history, a historical character associated always in the mind with the infamous phrase “Hello, Garci?” There, the Pact of Balesin was consummated, not unlike the Pact of Biak na Bato, which compromised the principles of Andres Bonifacio.

Mayor Inday Sara, the crown princess of the Kingdom of the South, had to fly to that multi-million dollar resort owned by Jaime Ongpin, a billionaire and former Marcos Cabinet member. Then, she resigned from Hugpong, a party she herself founded. The resignation was handwritten hurriedly in a resort letterhead. Forthwith, she attended that grand wedding in Cavite to stand as principal sponsor in the wedding of the year of senator Bong Revilla's daughter. Who was her co-sponsor? Lo and behold, the lord of the North, Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr, marching in the aisle with the crown princess from the south.

And immediately from the nuptial, the jet-setting mayor proceeded to take her oath as a new member of the party whose president, Martin Romualdez, is the first cousin of Bongbong Marcos. How easy and how fast can party membership be changed. Then, the next day, the certificate of candidacy for vice president was filed with the Comelec. A few hours thereafter, the party of Marcos announced that it has passed a resolution adopting Inday Sara as their vice presidential candidate. How fast, how convenient, and how easy. How flawless with which they followed the script.

Do these political schemers think that the people are stupid enough not to discern that they are taken in for a ride? These quick alliances are not for any noble purpose but to perpetuate the powers in the hands of these lords. They are afraid that the opposition (and there is only one genuine opposition, by the way) may snatch a victory from behind. What should alarm all the people is that this grand alliance of dynasties is the coming together of the Marcos Dynasty of the North, the Macapagal-Arroyo Dynasty of Central Luzon, the Romualdez Dynasty of Eastern Visayas, and the Duterte Dynasty of southern Mindanao.

This alliance has the support of the multi-billionaire Villars of Las Pinas, the Gatchalians from Valenzuela, the Cayetanos from Taguig. They have the support of Chavit Singson, the kingpin of Ilocos Sur, and the political lords of Isabela, the Dys, and the many loyal earls and dukes of Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan and other provinces nearby. If the Garcias, the Duranos, the Ouanos, the Gullases and the Radazas shall join in this grand cartel of aristocrats, then the people should stand up as one, they should unite and assert their freedom from the tentacles of oligarchs and political lords.

Who then will defend the poor people from the schemes and machinations of the rich and the powerful? Not Ping Lacson, not Isko Moreno, not even Manny Pacquiao. Only a woman will fight against all of them, a widow without money, without machinery but with the faith, the trust and the votes of the long oppressed but now awakened people. When all else shall have fallen, only Leni shall prevail. The new Joan of Arc, the new Gabriela Silang, the new Princess Urduja. And the people will be with her.