Power Shift and Big If

The landed and other top economic elites, many of them in extractive industries, have lorded it over our electoral politics since after World War II. Economic wealth for a long time has been the twin of political power in this country.

Although we have seen in recent years the rise of relatively poor politicians like former Senator Juan Flavier and Sen. Joker Arroyo (now seeking reelection), political power in this country remains largely in the hands of economic elites.

So I don’t mind really if movie stars, some of whom had started small before reaching stardom, are now entering electoral politics. They could use their popularity to invade a realm, which used to be monopolized by the traditional political big guns.

By sincerely putting to heart the interests of their thousands of fans, who include the ordinary masses, these movie stars seeking electoral positions may yet make a difference. As more movie and television personalities enter politics, political power in this country may yet shift from the landed and other wealthy elites to the hands of movie and television stars-turned-politicians.

But movie stars entering politics may have to educate themselves about the sanctity of a public office as a public trust. Former president Joseph Estrada had proved that movie stardom could pave one’s way to the top electoral position. Something, however, went wrong along the way, which had something to do with violating the sanctity of a public office. He may have started with sincere, good intentions. But he became infected with the usual politician’s disease in which absolute power could absolutely corrupt even the best of intentions.

So here’s an unsolicited advice to Goma, Cesar Montano and other movie idols entering politics: learn legislation and governance not from the usual traditional politicians, but from other models. Japanese politicians may yet offer some tips. Because the values of honor, accountability and integrity are part of Japanese political behavior, some Japanese politicians would rather commit hara-kiri if they could not stomach a wrongdoing they committed.

Not in the Philippines. Many Filipino politicians are known, if not perceived, as the most thick-skinned species in the animal kingdom. They can go around town promising the moon and the stars when they are courting for our votes but continue rob us dry when they get elected.

With the proper moral formation coupled with sufficient capacity-building in governance, movie stars turned politicians, as they do on screen, may yet help rescue the suffering and downtrodden from the villains who, with forked tongues, have long deceived us.

And if the new breed of politicians from the movie world really put the general interests of their lowly fans above theirs, the process of a shift of political power from the usual traditional political dynasties to this new breed may have begun. Be cautioned, however, that this is still a BIG IF.