Why Nograles?

I forgot to write about the change in the speakership. Cong. Rodriguez whom I admire because he gave me a signed copy of his book on Intellectual Property rights when he was a dean of the San Sebastian law school, said that the reason he supported Nograles was because of him being a Mindanawnon. I am wont to criticize Mr. Rodriguez since it is quite apparent that he did it for the idealism. A first termer, Rodriguez probably is so naive to think that his vote would result to huge sums of monies going to his district very soon. If he thinks that way, then, probably others naive as himself also did the same.

Patronage is very apt to describe the Philippine political system. Congressmen exchange their idealism for a few crumbs in the presidential table. Since the president control the road users tax, Congressmen are "obliged" to pay homage to the palace. They have exchanged the independence of Congress for gold. Why?

Because the people expect the Congressmen to perform. How would Congressmen, like Rodriguez, a first termer, perform if they don't have funds to support their projects? These projects will chart their political futures. If they want a career in politics, they better astound the people with their basketball courts, their farm-to-market roads, their public plazas, lighted streets and even ports. They need to give support to their hungry constituents with occasional support for fiestas, funerals and the like.

This is the reality. No one worth his salt would use his own money to fund these things. Rodriguez is one of them. And traditionally, Mindanawnons receive just ten percent of the GAA (General Appropriations Act) budget which is a pittance compared to the ones being received by the Luzon-based congressmen and even the Visayan-based congressmen.

So the systemic cycle continues--people expecting congressmen to perform, congressmen then goes to the palace to ask for funds and of course, the palace expects congressmen to toe the line so to speak. This is pathetic.

Why Nograles?

Nograles has shown his lapdog character early on in his political career. He is an able lieutenant, the kind that would be satisfied with a few crumbs being thrown at him by his principals, who, of course, includes the First Family. If at all, Nograles would do to change congress, he will change congress from an independent constitutional body to a highly patronizing and totally enslaved House of robots.

Nograles is there also to emphasize what this administration wants---charter change. Nograles is the best guy to articulate this because the palace has maintained the line that the reason why we need cha-cha is to help Mindanaonons like him. Definitely, Nograles will soon initiate charter change and would use his being a Mindanaonon to justify it.

Clever. But not quite.

Nograles does not have the political savvyness of JDV to counter opposition to cha-cha. Nograles, for all his posturings, does not command respect among the people, much less, civil society. Nograles is an expensive proposition. Why? Because everytime that he will ask for support, he would need millions from Razon and the First Family to do it. He does not have political capital for to have this, he must have very strong relations with these congressmen, meaning, they should at least have times when they spent it doing political battles together. Obviously, Nograles was just a lieutenant of JDV during those political battles. He is not a tried and tested general. He is an ass-licker yes, but to lick the asses of 240 people in Congress takes time.