BY ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
A SIMPLE press conference of Cong. Kiko Benitez (3rd District, Negros Occidental) in Murcia town on Sunday turned complicated. It led to the “exhumation” of the political dynasty issue against the Benitezes in Negros.
Probably unaware of the “serious” repercussion, Kiko tried to please the media. But the more he answered the question on political dynasty, the more he dug the graveyard of an ugly reality.
Political dynasty is synonymous to “greed for power”. Any family accused of political dynasty is perceived to be “gahaman sa poder”.
Yes, anywhere in the country, political dynasties thrive. History-wise, political dynasties started after the Philippine Revolution when the First Republic of the Philippines was established. To date, however, such worsened. Political savants are one in their belief that political dynasties have “embedded evils” that can cause deleterious effects to societal change.
But Kiko stressed there can be no such thing as political dynasty if the electorate does allow it. Thus, he insisted in denying that their family in Negros is forming a political dynasty.
Grades V and VI pupils in the elementary, however, know the generic meaning of political dynasty through their “Araling Panlipunan” subject. Their innocent interpretation in our local parlance: Sanday lolo, lola, tatay, nanay, tiyoy, tiyay, manong kag manang, naga-bulos-bulos lang posisyon sa pulitika.
For a broader understanding, political dynasty is typically characterized as families that have established political / economic dominance in a certain province. Then, they have coordinated efforts to move on to involvement in the national government or other positions in national politics that treats people’s prominence.
Wikipedia via Google says members of political dynasties (usually) do not limit their involvement to strictly political activities. Rather, they’ve been found participating in business and related activities. And over the years, political dynasties continued to adapt as the newer dynasties also continued to emerge to fill the power vacuums left behind by the extinction of older dynasties.
The International Growth Center (IGC) also simplifies the meaning of political dynasty as a network of family politicians who come to power in an election-based regime.
Article II, Section 26 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution clearly prohibits political dynasties. It states, “The state shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as maybe defined by law.”
And that law the Constitution is referring to is yet to be crafted by Congress, including its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) on this regard. Sad to say, for 34 years now, our dynasty-populated Congress blatantly ignored this task.
On record, the only anti-dynasty law passed in the country was Republic Act (RA) No. 10742 or the “Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015” on Jan. 15, 2016. But take note that this is only applicable to the SK officials and not to our national and local officials.
So, with this RA 10742, those who’ll run for any position in the SK must not be related within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to any incumbent elected national official or to any incumbent elected regional, provincial, city, municipal, or barangay official in the locality where he or she seeks to be elected.
Will this be emulated for our national and local officials?
I don’t think so.
CULTURE OF DEPENDENCE
Now, the question: Is Kiko’s family really into this political dynasty?
As to the context of general definition, it’s a yes.
Why?
Kiko is the incumbent solon of the 3rd District of Negros Occidental and is seeking re-election for a second term. In the 2019 elections, he succeeded his brother, Albee, who later turned as Capitol consultant, and is now running for mayor in Bacolod City.
Kiko’s nephew, Javi, son of Albee, is now running for mayor of Victorias City.
Kiko’s cousins, JunB Bantug, Derek Palanca and Dino Accuna, are also running for vice mayor and councilor, respectively.
Another cousin, Kalaw Puentevella, son of former mayor Monico Puentevella, is also running for councilor in Bacolod City.
And Kiko’s Lolo Severo Palanca and Lola Remedios Bantug-Palanca and cousin Wantan Palanca were also mayors of Victorias since 1992 to date.
Per an article from Business World, such is described as the concentration of political and economic power among a few families. It also institutionalizes economic inequalities and perpetrates a “culture of dependency” between the elite and the poor.
As a result, study says, localities with most established political dynasties are also poorer.
Therefore, Kiko’s answers to the question about political dynasty were considered “nebulous”.
His communication strategies should have parried that question from the media not expose the solon’s hyperbole that may raise eyebrows of legal luminaries and intellectual people.
LOTS OF ‘NOT ENOUGH’
Furthermore, Kiko, still in a presscon, said that for 12 years now that he and his brother, Albee, are in public service as representatives of the 3rd District, “Damo pa gyapon wala pa kami katapos sang (amon) mga initiatives.”
What does Kiko mean? That people in the 3rd District have to wait until when they can finish all their initiatives? What are these initiatives and what are their time-frames?
It ain’t remote that the 3rd District people will gonna wait until their “apos” or “apo sa tuhod” or “apo sa kamalingking” inherit their positions and so on and so forth.
‘ASENSO’ TO ‘SMART ASENSO’
Also attracting my attention was Kiko’s utterance of “Smart Asenso”.
Asenso means progress.
Yeah, it sounds good and “techy” but, somehow, lacks vivid explanation(s) vis-à-vis.
Kiko said, “What we need now are new models of development, new ways by which we can imagine how development can occur both in the national and local scenes.”
Then he added, “So, ang isa ta ka vision siguro, isa ta ka handum, indi lang ta magsiling nga ma-asenso kita tanan. I think, we have to be smart about how we’ll do it.”
Then with “Smart Asenso”, new technologies require new methods, require new skills.
“So, as we embrace with the transition to the digital type of economy, both our rural and urban spaces in the 3rd District must be sensitive to the opportunities provided by digital infrastructures and facilities.”
Wow, what a nice idea, but too high to reach, perhaps!
Within Kiko’s intellectual level, yes, this is the best, and such is just like, “This is it, pancit!”
But the 3rd District is a “landed” expanse composed mostly of haciendas. So, are the “tapasaseros sa kampo” ready to abandon their cane scythes (espading) to be tech-savvy just to be attuned in this digitalization era?
Will remote haciendas or sitios have WIFI-free soon?
Well, I just hope Kiko’s fully aware of the nature of life in the 3rd District.
Hastily subjecting the “mamumugon sa kampo” to digitalization, for me, is a tedious process unless all the digital infrastructures needed were already in place. If not, then, this is another case of “shooting the moon” to be included in the lots of not enough.
Let people in the 3rd District savor first the generic asenso in their lives before dragging them to the Smart Asenso. Or this will be ala “luksong-tinik” fun game that no one will ever win. Kapuyon lang gid ang tawo sang hala ka lukso-lukso.
So, for Kiko to be relevant in time, I think it’s better for him to have focus, be precise and generic in all his doings – nothing more, nothing less!/PN
