January 24, 2025 l Manila Times
As most societies delegate both the executive and legislative powers to their public officials, accountability on the part of these officials is important for the efficient functioning of a modern economy. The citizens of a nation must then be assured that the delegation of these powers is effective and not abused by public authorities. Without accountability, there is a lack of trust between the government and those it governs. This would result in social instability amid an environment that is not conducive for economic growth.
In the Philippines, some segments of the citizenry have expressed their concern over the deteriorating state of economic and political governance in the country today. Archbishop Socrates Villegas, through a pastoral letter to his flock in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, urged the faithful to scrutinize the recently passed 2025 national budget. The former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) lamented the budget cuts to the health, education and agriculture sectors in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) passed by Congress last month.
The Clergy and Citizens for Good Governance (CCGG), a coalition composed of more than 60 organizations across a broad spectrum of Filipino society, believes that the P6.3-trillion GAA this year propagates corruption due in part to the existence of political dynasties. In its demand for public accountability, CCGG is led by some bishops from the CBCP as well as other religious denominations in partnership with retired officers of the uniformed services and members of civil society groups.
Calls are mounting for the passage of the long-overdue Anti-Dynasty Law as mandated by the 1987 Philippine Constitution. A research study conducted by Education Undersecretary Ronald Mendoza when he was still the dean of Ateneo de Manila University’s School of Government showed the relationship between dynastic concentration and economic underdevelopment in various regions of the country.
Recent local elections have proven to be unwieldy for a number of political dynasties that have become too comfortable in their posts and treated their elective positions as a family business. Take for example the victory of Mayor Vico Sotto in the 2019 midterm elections against the well-entrenched Eusebio dynasty that reigned for 27 years in Pasig City. That same year, Davao del Norte’s veteran congressman Antonio Floirendo Jr. was defeated by neophyte Alan Dujali in the second legislative district, where the Floirendo family was dominant for more than two decades.
Another dynasty that got toppled in Davao del Norte was the Del Rosario clan in 2019, when two sons of longtime governor and congressman Rodolfo del Rosario lost in their electoral bids: Anthony del Rosario, who was then the incumbent congressman, to ex-speaker Pantaleon Alvarez in the first legislative district; and former provincial board member Rodney del Rosario to political newbie Edwin Jubahib for the gubernatorial post.
This trend is forecast to continue in the upcoming May 2025 midterm elections. Case in point is the second legislative district of Parañaque City, where the Tambunting couple has held fort for a dozen years. Rep. Gustavo Tambunting is now on his third nonconsecutive term after winning in the 2013 and 2016 elections, while his wife Joy replaced him in 2019, and he then made a comeback with a fresh mandate in 2022.
Challenging him is Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Brian Yamsuan, a newcomer in Congress who has resided for almost 25 years in Barangay BF Homes, which is part of Parañaque’s second district. In an SWS survey conducted in that district last November, 51 percent signified their preference for Yamsuan as candidate for district representative compared to 38 percent for Tambunting, while the remaining 11 percent were either undecided or opted for other candidates.
It may be recalled that in the 2022 elections, Tambunting obtained 53 percent of the votes while his lesser-known opponent, lawyer Josef Maganduga, garnered 47 percent in the two-candidate race despite the latter lacking political machinery. The results did not bode well for a seasoned politician who was expected to win by a landslide versus a weak challenger. Yamsuan was urged to run this time by constituents who believe that a more formidable opponent like him has a greater chance of ending the Tambunting dynasty.
Quality of service and the fulfillment of campaign promises are the factors that motivate the highly urbanized electorate in deciding whom to vote for. Powerful dynasties with large war chests and well-oiled political machineries have suffered defeats because the citizens have increasingly become discerning when it comes to elected officials’ performance. More significantly, they are more vocal now in demanding public accountability and good governance that every nation deserves to have. Our leaders should therefore shape up or risk being shipped out.
***The views expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of his office as well as FINEX. For comments, email nextgenmedia@gmail.com. Photo is from Pinterest.