Still, the question remains: Should political dynasties continue to hold such acclaimed positions?Īre celebrity-politicians the ‘alternative?’ This May, over 63 million Filipinos will decide who they want occupying the highest seats in government. With few exceptions in recent years, they have often run unopposed. On the latter, we again saw these familiar faces file their candidacies last October 7 for the upcoming 2022 elections.
Since then, we’ve seen generations of the same families wield their power in different parts of the country-the Ampatuans of Maguindanao, the Eusebios of Pasig, and perhaps the most notable of all, the Marcoses of Ilocos. Dito nagsisimula yung ideya na kailangan kong ituloy-ang mga sinasabi nating dynasties.” Torres stressed, “Gusto nila magserbisyo para sa bayan, so on and so forth, so ang mangyayari ay wala nang katapusan yung serbisyo. Once women were allowed to get involved, it created something of a personality-driven atmosphere suitable for modern-day political clans. Politics was a man’s world in those days. This similar way of thinking manifested in the mid-1940s, as Manuel Roxas formed the Liberal party after breaking away from the Nacionalista Party of Sergio Osmena.
In a guesting on our recent Pamilya Talk episode, De La Salle University-Manila History professor Jose Victor Torres noted that if the datu failed to adequately provide for his barangay, he could easily be kicked out by a political enemy.
It can be said that political dynasties emerged as early as precolonial times, when the datu served as head of a barangay.
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