I HAVE always this absorbing interest in how things work, what moves a gadget or a machine, what happens when it fails, what can be done to make it work again. I have discovered that some devices were engineered to last for shorter time, others longer time, a few for a lifetime; others can be repaired and replaced while many are simply disposable.
Throughout my adult years, I have applied this interest in how society works and fails, how people and organizations make society dynamic, how some people buy their ascent to power while others could not make any successful no matter how they try. This method of learning made me understand theories and commonly accepted doctrines. But upon making deeper analysis, I found out that many of these don’t have significant content, or don’t simply matter in our people’s lives. Applying this method in politics, it is apparent that the politics of former congressman Monico Puentevella and incumbent Vice Mayor Thaddy Sayson are comparably incomparable. Monico’s politics on the surface has always been an endless bragging of his accomplishments and tirelessly attacking and ranting on his perceived enemies. In fact, he has the public image of a trouble-rouser. How he earned that is his problem. It is positive in so far as it keeps him on the limelight of the political arena and sustains the energy among his ward leaders and the amorphous “masa”. It is more negative because it turns off the generally quiet and rarely provoked middle class, young professionals, academicians, business groups and the churches. However, with a deeper and critical examination of his current politics, one can easily pass it off as a tabularasa or empty, and at its best, a hodgepodge of hogwash eclecticism. It is devoid of any philosophy, or even just polemics and rhetoric, a character of thinking people, of great minds, great leaders. He could not even pass the Socratic standards in making exhortation and argumentation. In fairness to him, he had bigger chances of becoming a great political leader in his first two terms as a congressman because of his excellent political machine run by people who knew exactly what philosophy to apply in what conditions. He had a think tank energized by the great mind of Italian political philosopher Machiavelli and fueled by his vast resources. He had a huge and solid army led by political officers and commanders with unswerving cult-like loyalty to him. He made himself available to anyone anytime. But in his last congressional term to his failed bid for mayoralty in 2010, Monico reconfigured his thinking machine and quickly turned it into a slot machine, where cash in and cash out are pre-programmed. He shifted to purely politics of money, of buying loyalty, of calculating plus minus alliances and planning victory on monetary terms. He built unnecessary bureaucratic layers and all sorts of protocols that practically made him less accessible to anyone anytime. This explains why he appeared detached from day to day ground reality and political dynamics. This was also one of the major factors why his political machinery in his last two failed battles was swarmed by opportunists, double-dealers, brokers and bidders, and no less, agents of his enemies. When money does the thinking, becomes the principal consideration in any strategizing and planning, the result is always a costly disaster. His organization went through the quick process of weakening, defensiveness, disorder, isolation, decapitation and finally, defeat. Today, Monico is posturing with the same politics that brought him major political disasters. He wants to have more money to rebuild his largely decapitated machine to be able to wage battle with Thaddy. Logically, he will get moneyed people, buy loyalty and sympathy, invest on media storm-troopers. In the process, he will isolate more principled allies and friends, as he did to Councilors Archie Baribar, Elcid Familiaran and their solid councilors bloc. That goes down the village level. Thaddy, Monico’s major opponent for mayoralty in 2013, on the other hand, appears to be very formidable and worry-free thinking political warrior. Despite the controversies and tirades hurled against him, the feedbacks I got from a wide array of people still say that Thaddy displays some good politics. What is good politics? He has a good sense of public service. He has a good development foresight and seems to be a good strategic planner. He makes good linkages with a wide range of service providers. He delivers the services he committed, not just “pa-pogi.” He always appears in both important and less important social and economic events, making sure he has a hands-on and gut-feel of the situation. He makes himself available to anyone, anytime and anywhere. He is not fond of setting up bureaucratic layers or stringent process with protocols. He appears to be just one ordinary guy next door ready to give a hand anytime. He is not artificial or “plastik”. He does not wear a different Thaddy in private and another in public. It is the same Thaddy you get anywhere anytime. He can laugh so loud and bare anytime on any issue with anyone. He can also be very stern or so angry, almost lifting a fist with any issue anytime and with anyone. He can be a Spartacus in a battle. He can also be as loving as any father to his wife and children. Thaddy may have some personal weaknesses and political infantility, but he is not a hypocrite to make clear himself when pointed with one or two by anyone. He is not even bragging his established solid political bases in dozens of barangays in the city, and the huge army of personnel, casual and job order employees of city hall working for him as Thaddy and as a city official. I am neither for Thaddy. But if we compare Thaddy’s politics with Monico, it is terribly unequal, incomparable, unless the latter amend his political thinking and practices to his glorious thinking times. But that would be very difficult. Certainly, he is no Manny Pacquiao nor David Beckham. But God knows, Monico may have innate potentials to leapfrog from political demise. Monico projects a quite complicated personality and politics. Thaddy projects a simple, open and straightforward political figure. That spells a big difference in winning hearts and minds in any battle. Thaddy and Archie and his bloc may be opposing on a number of fundamental issues. But without them knowing it, they share lots of common in their politics, public service and personality. A number of politicians from other blocs in fact share their politics. They only happen to be in different political grouping with differently packaged political interests. I wouldn’t be surprised if major political re-alignments and even new political convergences could happen between now and 2013 elections. Meanwhile, while the bigger world continues to be more violent, unforgiving and depressing, I am comforted by the thought that while traditional electoral politics is not getting any better in our wicked city and province, a number of our politicians and informal political leaders are waking up from the morass of the politics of money and convenience. With all this, it appears that as early as now all roads seem to be leading to Sum-ag. The road to Helvetia Heights, quo vadis. Karl G. Ombion Sun Star Bacolod
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