A wedge of Chiz
Manolo Quezon writes an incisive article on Chiz Escudero and the national democratic front.
A wedge of Chiz
By Manuel L. Quezon IIIIN JAKARTA OVER THE WEEKEND, I discovered that a famous political saying from the Philippines enjoys wide currency particularly within the circle of President Sudhuyono: “My loyalty to my party ends where my loyalty to my country begins.” The phrase dates back to 1922 when public opinion became a factor in elections and it summarizes the recent decision of Francis Escudero to renounce his party affiliation and to adopt—in fact, reintroduce—a proposal first made in 1940, that of Partyless Democracy (which is still being seriously discussed in India to this day) and which rejects parties as guardians of patronage, the spoils system and partisanship in politics.
The Nationalist People’s Coalition, the second-largest party in the country, has carved out a role for itself as a useful ally in forming coalitions. What, exactly, that useful role serves, beyond its share of spoils by always having a seat at the table, has been widely perceived by the public as being a simple one, as far as objectives go: to maintain, protect, and if possible, expand, the economic power of the party’s principal. For power doesn’t flow merely from the barrel of a gun, but also from the depths of a deep purse.
The legitimate ambition of Escudero—that he can be the youngest president the country’s ever had since the presidency has been the actual gift of the electorate—naturally had to collide with a party oriented towards such limited goals. His frustration over the condescension of his party elders reflects similar sentiments among an overwhelmingly young population over the short-sightedness of their elders. He had to leave, not only to fulfill his destiny but in order to continue representing the aspirations of his followers.His alienation is the alienation of his constituents, his defying convention a reflection of his follower’s impatience with hierarchy, pragmatism, consensus and cooperation. But it leaves leader and followers alike without prospects of what the very things they are rebelling against, make possible: the transformation of opinion into action. The National Democratic Front and its affiliates know how to translate resentment into action.
The NDF was caught off-guard and left befuddled by the entry of Aquino into the presidential derby as Villar’s camp—with whom the NDF had decided to ally, out of pragmatic consideration—was, and for the same reasons: it upset the political calculations that had driven the political campaigns of all sides up to that point. Pursuing their generations-old vendetta against the Aquinos, the Left faced a backlash when its immediate reaction to Cory Aquino’s death was sustained criticism; it nimbly did an about-face and embraced her so as not to be exposed as having such a deviant opinion from the public as a whole. But the Great Remembering followed by the Great Awakening when Cory died gave rise to the candidacy of Aquino.
Before Benigno Aquino III threw his hat into the ring, the then-frontrunner, Manuel Villar Jr., by all accounts had oriented his campaign towards considering Escudero as his number one opponent, the real threat to his presidential prospects. Aquino’s entry into the fray—at the precise point when Villar had achieved what all the experts assured him was a major turning point in the campaign, achieving the crucial 25 percent survey rankings that made him the man to beat—essentially wiped out Villar’s gains, since Aquino’s ratings raised the bar and rendered the conventional wisdom obsolete.
Manuel Roxas II accurately read the signs of the times and sacrificed his 2010 ambitions. But Aquino also made Escudero seem callow by comparison, so it seemed, for a time, as Roxas took his time to accept Aquino’s offer for Roxas to be his running mate, a window of opportunity had opened for Escudero to make a similar renunciation of ambition and become Aquino’s running mate, instead. But Roxas accepted Aquino’s offer (the sensible and honorable thing for both candidates to do) which left Escudero out in the cold, and facing a lukewarm reception from the leadership of his party, besides.
Escudero and the NDF proved to be mutual saviors of each other’s sagging prospects of remaining relevant in 2010. It was bad enough for the purists in the field to have to accept their Eternal Chairman’s decision to back Villar; just as bad were proposals to open discussions with Aquino for this would confront the NDF with another dilemma: having to support an Aquino when it had demanded the blood of martyrs to stain their claim to representing the democratic aspirations of the people.
Escudero’s role is to be a wedge. His political gifts are the sharp point that the NDF parties flocking to his banner perceive to be the sharp point of their mission to chop the existing democratic order to smithereens. Of course, there is an irony in iron-disciplined NDF party lists proclaiming the virtues of a man who has disowned party affiliation. Put another way, they would make short shrift of someone trying to leave their ranks in order to fulfill an individual sense of political integrity.
But he’s from the outside. Chances are, somewhere down the road, in fulfillment of the sense of historical inevitability that drives their faith, the excommunication of Escudero will come. But not now, not when he can be so useful.
The importance of Escudero doesn’t lie in his becoming the next president of the Philippines, but rather, how he will influence the prospects of the current frontrunners. His newfound allies calculate he is their secret weapon in pursuing their vendetta against the son of the Aquinos who conclusively proved the public prefers reform and non-violence to blood and revolution, and he will do so by trying to out-Aquino the real deal. So he has decided to ride the purring tiger.
on November 5th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
“Joma Sison would like to reassure his Filipino fans that he’s not backing down, and will selflessly and single-handedly continue to consume sumptuous European food, mouth-watering chocolates, and fine opera so that the Filipino masses he dearly loves — especially those who are actually shooting soldiers, eating nothing but sweet potatoes, and using wet mountain leaves to wipe their crapper — would not have to suffer and get corrupted by these evil bourgeois consumer products.”skirmisher
on November 5th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Andaming kasinungalingan dito, kitang-kita ang pagiging kontra-Kaliwa at Noynoyista ni Quezon.
on November 5th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
The NDF was caught off-guard and left befuddled by the entry of Aquino into the presidential derby as Villar’s camp—with whom the NDF had decided to ally,”
Manuel,
I’m puzzled. How did the NDF get involve in Villar’s presidential foray? Did they, NDF, make a formal declaration?
Or are you translating a paradox?
on November 5th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Ana,
NDF did not make a declaration but it is common knowledge that they were able to wangle at least one senate slot on Villar’s ticket. Why they didn’t declare their support upon completion of the deal is for the NDF to answer. But Teddy Casino and Liza Maza started to run ads on prime time radio right around the time the deal was made.
I don’t find anything wrong with the NDF supporting Chiz or with Chiz accepting their support. It’s politics and I hope their marriage bears fruit. But I seriously doubt if Chiz is going to turn communist.
on November 5th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Ana,
“I’m puzzled. How did the NDF get involve in Villar’s presidential foray?”
That’s the same question I asked friends who are close to NDF leaders. Their answer was “utos ni Joma.”
on November 5th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
[...] Sinundan ni Quezon ang kabagang niyang si Manuel Buencamino sa pagkatha ng kwento tungkol sa pakikitungo ng Kaliwa sa mga kandidato sa pagkapangulo. Noong una [...]
on November 6th, 2009 at 3:41 am
When Chiz resigned from his party it meant the end of his presidential illusion este dreams so please quit this nonsense about a panty less este party less BS, it will never happen especially in the Philippine fraudulent prone electoral contest…….. eh baka talunin pa yan ni Eddie Gil if he ran as an independent or party less daw, lol……
on November 6th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Manuel,
Anyway, I’m not surprised.
Remember, Cynthia Villar brokered the love affair between Gloria and Beltran (or was it Satur Ocampo). When she invited one of those two blokes to her party, she made sure that Ocampo (or was it Beltran) sat with Gloria at the same table. And as we all know, Satur is Joma’s lieutenant in Manila.
Villar and Cynthia would sleep with the devil to achieve their goal. A presidency under Villar would be like having a Gloria-Mike Pidal Malacanang remake. The Villars are two-timing whores.
on November 6th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Dang! Goodness me. I didn’t realise the article was Manolo Quezon’s. I thought it was Manuel Buencamino’s. Hah!
on November 6th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Ana,
you are right about Villar. I just hope voters see through his carefully crafted image. Aba nag pakulay pa ng buhok at nag pa facelift ang gago
on November 7th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Talaga? Dyed his hair and had a facelift? Ngeek….
on November 7th, 2009 at 8:14 am
Kaya pala naging mukhang blondie iyong hair niya… hahahaha!
on November 8th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
naks eto na ba ang unofficial website ng isafp at ng BANTAY partylist? hahaha san nyo napulot ang mga chika ninyo? sa common knowlege? san yun? as usuall puro ka cheapan at chismisan kontra s akaliwa maitaas lang ang mga sarili at ang kanilang kandidato.
Kung talagang sagging na ang impluwensya ng kaliwa sa eleksyon at irrelevant na sila sa political arena bat ninyo sila pinag uusapan? bat nag sasayang kayo ng oras at talino para mag imbento para siraan sila? takot ba kayong maging senador si satur at si liza at si teddyu kung matutuloy? nangangatog ba kayo nangyayaring backlash ng station id mtv ng kandidato nyo?
Tama ang punto ni teo sa blog nya…patunayan ni quezon ang mga akusasyon nya sa pdi. puro kayo ka cheapan, inggetero s akaliwa palibhasa mga grouplets na walang alam kundi magkamal ng pera.
on November 9th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
E bakit naman maiinggit sa kaliwa? Tingnan nyo ang survey ratings ng inyung mga kandidato. Malayong-malayo. Ibig sabihin, di kayo maka-konek sa taumbayan. Wala akong problema sa mga kandidato ng kaliwa. Katunayan, bobotohin ko pa sila dahil naniniwala ako na napapalakas ang demokrasya kapag may boses ang kaliwa. Pero ako lang yan; ang mayorya ng boboto ay ilag sa inyo. Paano naman magsisimpatya sa tulad ni bikolano–nag-aakusa ng nagkakamal ng pera at inggetero ang sinumang di sang-ayon sa kanya. Ano ang ebidensya ni bikolano?
At kung ang pag-uusapan natin ang buong Pinas,ang opinyon ng bayan, ang kaliwa ang lumalabas na grouplet.
on November 10th, 2009 at 2:00 am
hay bicolano di magsenador sila. Bakit ako matatakot sa kanila eh mas mga walang utak pa yun kesa sa iyo. Tigilan mo na yan pag internet mo at bumalik ka sa pagmemorize na mga turo ng bayani ng utrecht. baka ma snap quiz ka at di ka makasagot at mapagdudahan ka pa na rejectionist ka. Sige na magbasa ka ng holy words from the messiah from utrecht
on November 10th, 2009 at 2:07 am
asus, kasinungalingan daw. Teo bustado na kayo!
on November 10th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
hekhek ayun umiinit na ang ulo ng mga anti-left, at humiram ka pa ng wording ko manuel ha, walang originality, si nonoy ang pinapalabas nyon mesias, sya na di kailangang mangatog ang tuhod dahil di nag-iisa, sya na kahit reluctant ay dapat nating lagyan ng olor ang paa, patakan ng luha at suklayan ng buhok. yana ng mesiyas. palibhasa personality based!
@traffic: naaalala mo pa ba ang code-ngo scandal? wag mo na akong bigyan ng mga pa epek na boboto ka sa mga makabayan, di ako tatanaw ng utang na loob sa plastic. sige manalig ka sa surbey, sa masa kami. saan ang buong pilipinas? kaninong opinyon ng bayan? nat dem grouplets? huh eh ikaw sino ka? self appointed spokespeson at opinion deliverer ng taumbayan. ?
@ manuel ulit, akala ko ba ang mga liberal eh may kaplastikang paggalang sa freedom of speech? bat mo ko sinicensure na wag nang mag internet? tsk tsk. walang mesyas sa natdem, diba nga wala tayong maasahan bathala o manunubos… ikaw ang mga mesiyas….palaging naka nga nga ang bibig.
on November 11th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
naks eto na naman ang utrechtan mouthpiece. hoy kailan ang next pilgrimage sa utrecht? meron bang mga stampita ni messiah na ipamimigay? Baka may toning water din. hekhekehek
on November 12th, 2009 at 1:35 am
pag wala na talagang maisagot kantyaw na lang ang panlaban hehehe. well ganyan talaga-kung bangkrap ang pinaninindiganan-it will show no matter how hard they try to conceil it.
titirahin mo pa si carol, si joe at ang mga nat dems di ka nga makasagot. si manolo din na kabaro mo di pa din sumasagot hehehe.
on November 12th, 2009 at 2:55 am
bikolano,
hekhekhek syensya ka na di ko na realize na sacrilehiyo palang babuyin yun mga sinasamba mo, Pahingi naman ng autographed stampita nila, Baka parang anting anting yan at pwede pryection sa bala at pambobola.
on November 14th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Maninira itong si Bicolano. Ano kinalaman ni MLQ3 o ni Buencamino sa CODE-NGO scandal. Yan ang taktikang Pol Pot at Stalin.
Si Bicolano ang Kit Tatad ng kaliwa. Pero mas marunong si Tatad; Sa spelling na lang sabit na si Bicolano. “Conceil it,” sabi ni Bikolano. Indikasyon na latak na ang nakukuha ng kaliwa.
on November 14th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Napansin ko lang, hindi na kayo nagtatalo hinggil sa isyu. Mas genetic fallacy na lang. Sagutin mo muna ang mga tanong, manuel. traffic, wag ka masyadong umasa na kukunin kang groupie nina buencamino.
on November 15th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
AKS,
Ano ang tanong ni Tatad ng kaliwa– ISAFP website? Walang paggalang sa free of speech? Yan ang fallacy! Ang isyu rito, ang grouplet ni Bikolano-di naman lahat ng Kaliwa ay tulad ninyo–ay mahilig mag-akusa kapag di sang-ayon sa pananaw ng ka-kontra nyo. At biira ng bira kay Noynoy habang yung mga disenteng lider ninyo tulad ni Satur ay sumusubok na makipagdialogue kay Noynoy. Mas malaki ang naambag ninyo sa pagakasira ng Kaliwa kaysa ISAFP.
on November 16th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Aks at bicolano,
ano nga yun tanong na gusto ninyoh sagutin ko?
on November 18th, 2009 at 10:07 am
@bicolano: haha korek ka. kacheapan nga, pati ba naman spelling papatulan pa.
ang tanong ko naman, ba’t ba itong grouplet nina mlq3 ay atat na upakan ang natdem-kaliwa (sige, ultra left.xD)??? nag-aastang objective pa sa mga pagsusuri nila eh sa linya ng kanilang pananalita eh malinaw ang pagka-kontra kaliwa at pro-Noynoy naman. xD
on November 18th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Mark,
o eh ano kung kontra sa pagiisip ninyo at pro-Noynoy? Kayo anti-Noynoy at pro-Villar. Nakakahiya! Parang mga pokpok tulad ni Loren
on November 19th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
uniffors,
wala kung may batayan sana at hindi rumor at spekulasyon.eh kaso, puro rants lang to aeh.xD kontra sa pagiisip? pinipersonal mo na eh. MAPANIRA ka lang talaga Ginoong Buencamino. Tska, ano ang nakakahiya? kanino mahihiya ang kaliwa, sayo? OMG mga kapuso.xD sa isang punto ay pansin kung wala ka na sa sanidad mo sa pagkumpara mo sa kaliwa bilang pokpok tulad ni Loren. Lunod ka na sa kumonoy ng huwad na kaisipang liberal at anti-LEFTIST. patuloy akong magiging anti-Noynoy hanggat di nya natutugunan ang problema sa hacienda luisita. tigilan nyo na yang bitterness nyo.xD
on November 19th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Mark,
Mahiya kayo sa taong bayan. Si Loren nakailang lipat na yan ng partido?
At sige paki explain lang kung bakit hindi kahiya-hiya sumanib kay Villar. Paki-explain ang party line tungkol dyan.
Ako ang masasabi ko lang sa katagaltagal ng struggle, sa dami ng mga batang idealists na nagunderground at napatay noong panahon ni Marcos eh dyan din pala kay Villar babagsak ang revolusyonaryong makabayan. Pathetic.
Pumunta kayo sa puntod nung mga nagbuwis ng buhay para sa rebolusyon, humingi kayo ng patawad, ipaliwanag ninyo na ganyan lang talaga ang pulitika. Isama na din ninyo si Loren bilang katibayan kung ano ang kinahatnan ng rebolusyon ninyo. Tsk tsk.
on November 21st, 2009 at 5:37 pm
pati pala ispeling pinapatos, hekhek, eh buti nga spelling lang, kayo prinsipyo at paninidigan ang palyado= di lang yan latak, tae na yan.
sino ba ang nagdawit kay mlq at buencamino sa code-ngo? akbayan ang pinag uusapan noon. isakontexto mo ang pagsagot mo TRAPIK ng mejo umangat naman ang price tag mo. sino ba ang unang bumira? magbaybay ka ng thread ng di ka puro kantyaw.naaawa ako sayo, di ka na nayayakap noong bata ka pa?
ha, si manuel kung umasta parang alam na alam ang rebolusyon at pagrerebolusyon, kung para sayo ang pag damit ng yellow at pagsuporta kay noynoy ang kabuuan at kaganapan ng ideya mo ng rebolusyon, bahala ka. syentipiko at daynamiko ang kilusan pambansa demokratiko, hindi ito natatali at napapasuko ng koalisyon o pakikipg alayansa dahil may sarili itong prinsipyo at gulugod. kayo meron ba?
kung maka pamuna akalay si jesus ang presidentiable at ang doseng apostoles ang ticket ng liberal ah. at may gana pang mag drama ng transaksyunal politics…tignan nyo ang bakuran nyo manuel…
on November 23rd, 2009 at 10:38 am
uniffors,
sinong taumbayan? yung mga taong nilason nyo ng kaisipang liberal burgis na malaon nyo nang pinagsasamantalahan, yaong nakulong na sa status quo upang ibayong mapagsasamantalahan. di mo man lang naitanong sa sarili mo kung bakit nagbubuhis ng buhay ang mga kabataan noon at hanggang sa ngayon? di ako magaalinglangan, kasama nang paparaming kabataang aktibista na sumunod sa yapak ng mga nauna sa amin, talikdan ang maalwang buhay at yakapin ang simpleng pamumuhay sa lunsod man o kanayunan kaisa ang malawak na ‘taumbayan’. ikaw dapat ang humingi ng tawad sa puntod ng mga martir sapagkat insulto sa kanila na sirain lamang ang kanilang kabayanihan ng isang kontra-reb at kapos sa pagsusuri na si G. Buencamino. tama nga si bikolano, alamin niyo muna ang pagrerebolusyon.
malinaw na ang babaw nga ng tingin mo sa natdem at reb, bagay na nagpapalabnaw sa yung kakayahang magsuri. pinapalutang mo na nabahiran na ang ‘purista’ mong pagtingin sa natdem; ngunit di mo binigyang puwang, bagkos ay dinedma mo ang paggiging CONSISTENT at INDEPENDENT ng natdem sa maraming usapin at taktikal na pakikipagalyansa. malinaw muli na paningin at interpretasyong liberal ang gamit mo sa paghusga sa hakbanging ito ng natdem, na walang pinagkaiba sa pagsusuri ng mga tsismosa. maaring palalimin mo ang dekonstruksiyon mo sa pagsusulong ng natdem reb at pakikipagrelasyon sa labas.
on November 23rd, 2009 at 11:46 am
Mark,
Paninindigan mo pa din ang pag suporta ng kaliwa kay Villar? Eh ang mismong satur teddy at liza nagdadalawang isip na! Get your head out of your ideological ass! Do your own thinking para naman hindi lang parang dekwerdas ang iyong mga sinasabi.
Simple lang ang ibig sabihin ng liberal para sa akin. Yan ang isang taong nagiisip. Ang liberal ay hindi nabubuhay sa loob ng isang kahon na ideological. Malaya ang pagiisip niya. Wala siyang party o religious line na sinusunod kaya pag ang kanyang party o relihiyo ay may ginagawa na hindi malunok ng kanyang konsiyensya hindi siya natatakot magpahayag ng pagtutol
on November 25th, 2009 at 2:12 am
manuel, latest news chika, kumalas na sa usapan ang makabayan(NATDEM) with villar, ang saya saya mo siguro hehehhe, at gusto mo pa atang agwan ng star factor ang aming ka satur at ka liza, anu ito sala s ainit sala sa lamig? winner ang nat dem diba sa moralidad at sa tibay ng paninidigan(di tulad ng iba jan nakikisakay lang) opurtunista ika nga. heheheh
wala ng dapat ipaliwanag sayo ang mga natdems kasi simula noon klarado sa amin ang lahat ukol s aprinsipyo na pakikipag alayado at koalisyon. kayo lang naman itong frog inside looking out myopic asshairs nag nag aastang alam na alam ang daynamismo ng kaliwa base sa inyong makikitid at puno ng haka hakang standpont..
sana din sumagot na si manolo quezon na ka bed mate mo, wag mong buburahin ang mga post ko ha. hehehe
on November 25th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
“Wala siyang party o religious line na sinusunod kaya pag ang kanyang party o relihiyo ay may ginagawa na hindi malunok ng kanyang konsiyensya hindi siya natatakot magpahayag ng pagtutol”
nagpapatawa ka ba? eh anu yung pagewang gewanh na posisyon ni noynoy sa reproductive health bill? nung dumalaw sa pampangga nag abot pa ng position paper kay bishop anicieto. so you think hindi liberal si noynoy?
on November 25th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
bikolano
bakit ano ba ang party line sa RH bill?
on November 25th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
bikolano kaibigan ko si satur at nagusap kami isang linggo bago nagdesisyon ang makabayan bumaklas kay villar dahil sa pagsali ni bongbong marcos.
Talagang wala kang dapat ipaliwanag sa akin kasi kung may kailangan akong paliwanag tungkol sa natdems eh kay satur ako nagtatanong. Bakit ako magtyatyaga sa second hand source na katulad mo lalonglalo na na puros party line lang ang alam mo.
Si satur nakakausap ko ng tao sa tao kahit uminom pa kami hindi kami nagtatalo kasi klaro ang usapan namin. Alam ko kung bakit kinailangan ng natdem sumama kay villar maski kasukasuka si villar para sa kanila. Naipaliwanag ni satur yun ng walang ideology-ideology na katukad mong Joma’s Witness.
Sa awa ng Diyos kinuha ni Villar si Bongbong at nabigyan ng magandang dahilan ang natdem bumaklas. Ako ay lubos na natuwa at nagpadala ng congratulations kay Satur kasi tulad ni ka Crispin makakapagretire siya ng hindi siya napilitan isuko ang kanyang prinsipyo.
Sa madaling salita, si satur na ang kausap ko kaya wala na akong kailangan kausapin ma Jomas Witness. Maintindihan mo?