How the dead still influence the politics of living
Only in the Philippines that the dead still have impact on the politics of the living.
If not for the murder of Ninoy Aquino, a young, inexperienced housewife Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, a well-bred but politically innocent former colegiala, would not have ascended to the presidency, derailing the long-nurtured ambition of Senator Salvador “ Doy’’ Laurel. And if not for the untimely demise of President Cory Aquino, a non-performing neophyte senator who did not perform excellently in the halls of the Philippine senate, Benigno Simeon Aquino III, would have no credible run for the presidency. But death has a certain mysterious effect on the living that, out of the blue, while the remains of the first female Philippine president were still lying in state, some political fortune-tellers identified the only son of Ninoy and Cory as the next anointed leader for 100 million or so Pinoys. To the great consternation of the candidate-in waiting Manuel A Roxas II and to the great dismay of his wife, Korina.
Because of the death of Cory, the Filipino electorate opted to elect Noynoy, who was not as qualified as his cousin Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, Jr. Noynoy was inexperienced unlike his opponent Manny Villar, who is an expert in finance, business and the economy. Noynoy was chosen over Joseph “Erap” Estrada who wanted to reclaim the presidency, after he was impeached, unceremoniously then replaced by GMA, and charged and sentenced to life imprisonment, but pardoned by the president who ousted him. Noynoy was also chosen over Brother Eddie Villanueva of the Jesus is Lord religious congregation. All because his mother died, and for sentimental reasons, the son was handed over the overall leadership of the grieving nation. The presidency in the Philippines appears like an ‘’ abuloy sa patay’.’ Had anything happened to Noynoy while in office, (heaven forbids), Kris Aquino would most probably have followed the line of succession. Then Joshua and Bimby too.
I remember when I was in high school, a very popular Liberal Party candidate for senator, a multi-millionaire from Jaen, Nueva Ecija, Gaudencio Antonino, died in a freak accident the day before election day. He was accidentally hit by the propeller of his own private helicopter while on tarmac and he died on the spot. And so, the LP national directorate, which included Ninoy Aquino, convened immediately and named Magnolia W. Antonino, who was still in a state of shock, to replace her late husband. The people who voted did not know that the original candidate already died because the name of Gaudencio was on the ballot, not Magnolia. But the COMELEC ruled that all votes for Gaudencio were counted for Magnolia. Death has a way indeed to influence the politics of the living.
Somehow, the ascension of GMA to the presidency, even her entering into politics, was influenced by the examples of her late father Diosdado P. Macapagal. When Carlos P Garcia, (the Boholano who rose to become president of the Philippines when Ramon F. Magsaysay died in a plane crash in Cebu,) passed away, his widow, Leonila Dimataga Garcia from Lapu-Lapu City, run for the Senate. Death again has a way of pushing widows to the political scene. Imelda Romualdez, Marcos, the widow of Ferdinand (who ruled the country from 1966 to 1986, the longest presidential tenure for twenty years) is now running for governor of her late husband’s province of Ilocos Norte, with her grandson Matthew Manotoc, scion of senatoriable Imee, as vice governor. Had Marcos not died, I don’t know if Bongbong would have been senator.
In the Philippines, and perhaps only in our country, death in the family is a launching event for a political career. When John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, his widow Jacqueline was the most popular person in the US, more popular than Lyndon B Johnson, the in-coming president. But Jacquie was never launched as a presidential wannabee. The Pinoys are a different breed politically, and we certainly have more shares of certain unique species of political animals.
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