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The overwhelming victory of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. within the Philippine presidential election, thanks at the very least partly to the re-writing by way of social media of the oppression and pillage that characterised his father’s rule within the Nineteen Seventies and Eighties, is just not the one cause to fret in regards to the route of Philippine democratic politics.
As anticipated, the Home of Representatives is filled with regional dynasts who principally joined Marcos-aligned events and anyway will possible vote for many of what the chief needs in return for rewards for his or her districts or themselves.
However it’s the Senate election end result which can be a bigger trigger for concern given that previously senators, being elected on a nationwide foundation, have had a bent to individualism and a level of independence even from the events of which they’re nominal members.
Essentially the most hanging function this time is that high of the senate ballot was a newcomer, Robin Padilla, 52, whose reputation stems from a Philippine tendency to elect actors, information readers and sports activities figures within the mistaken perception that can empower them as lawmakers. Padilla’s chief declare to fame is as a film and TV actor finest identified for “unhealthy man” roles, the gangster as anti-hero, simply as former President Estrada had risen to the highest by way of heroic roles on behalf of justice.
Padilla was additionally a favourite of President Duterte who in 2016 had given him an absolute pardon in respect of a 1994 conviction for unlawful firearms. Padilla had been sentenced to eight years and served 4 earlier than being launched by President Ramos from New Bilibid jail, the place he promptly made a film set on the jail.
Padilla’s spiritual leanings went from being a Jehovah’s Witness, a minor US-based Christian sect that has a substantial following within the Philippines, to conversion to Islam when he married a Muslim and took the identify Abdul Aziz. He subsequently divorced and married a Christian on the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. His father and family members have political clout in Camarines Norte however Padilla’s sudden ascension to Senate candidate was impelled by Duterte, whose drug conflict killings have been praised by the actor.
His one distinction is that he is without doubt one of the only a few new faces among the many senators simply elected. One other is journalist and TV persona Raffy Tulfo. The third new one is just not actually new in any respect – Mark Villar follows his mom who adopted his father into the Senate. Different inheritors and/or re-electionists embody two sons (by completely different moms) of the disgraced former President Estrada – Jinggoy Estrada and J.V. Ejercito and Joel Villanueva, son of rich evangelist and founding father of the Jesus is Lord sect “Eddie” Villanueva, who has been elected to the Home as a party-list member.
Alan Peter Cayetano follows a sister and father into the Senate, returnee senator Francis Escudero is the son of a minister underneath Marcos within the Eighties, re-electionist Win Gatchalian’s household dominates the politics of Valenzuela, Juan Zubiri is the son of the governor of Bukidnon, Loren Legarda and Risa Hontiveros are the one Robredo supporters to win election. Hontiveros has been probably the most outspoken liberal voice within the Senate in opposition to drug killings, different extra-judicial killings and “red-tagging” of leftists. In the meantime the Liberal get together has no successors to retiring senators Franklin Drilon and Francis Pangilinan.
Notable losers within the Duterte-driven avalanche have been his critics Leila de Lima, nonetheless confined in “preventive detention” on the navy’s Camp Crame headquarters on virtually definitely trumped-up drug expenses, Antonio Trillanes and Richard Gordon. Left-leaning candidates Neri Colmenares and Chel Diokno additionally fared poorly.
The get together record system, which was established within the structure to formally contain political events within the electoral course of for the home of representatives to facilitate multi-winner elections,. has been largely taken over by dynasts and representatives of pro-Duterte and pro-Marcos teams, making a good greater mockery of its authentic intent to offer illustration to marginalized teams.
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