THE NP AND LP IN PHILIPPINE POLITICS

The Nationalista and the Liberal Parties are the oldest political parties in the Philippines, equivalent more or less to the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States.  The ongoing coalition of the NP and the LP for the purpose of the 2013 elections is truly surprising.  It also augurs somebody's abandonment of an oath he took after the 2010 polls and maybe -- just maybe -- a new threat to somebody else's political ambitions for 2016.

The NP, along with Lakas-CMD, corresponds somewhat to the Republican Party in the US.  It belongs to the conservative wing of Philippine politics, whereas its principal rival, the Liberal Party, along with the parties belonging to the agglomeration of the People's Power government, all belong to the liberal wing of Philippine politics and somewhat corresponds to the Democratic Party of the United States.  In the US, the political parties generally espouse their own expressed ideology or vision, bolstered by a written platform of government with specific goals, essentially different from one another.  There,  no one is yet known to abandon the political affiliation of his parents and grand parents.  In the Philippines, the respective visions, ideology and platforms of the political parties have become less evident and more obscured, as the switching of party allegiances by individual politicians, especially prior to a major election has over time become the norm.  Methinks this is one reason why this country is continually going to the dogs. The thing is politicians in these parts may not be faulted for that -- they would rather be practical than ideal -- because they are just exercising their constitutional right to join or not join an organization.

The emerging NP-LP marriage may be partly explained by the fact that after the coalition between Erap and Bnay into UNA, where most of the big-name senatoriables for 2013 belong, what essentially remained of the potential LP bets were relatively unknown, some even losers for senators in the previous elections.  The same is more or less true with the NP's potential senatorial candidates.  Along this light, the NP-LP merger becomes a practical option.

But here's the rob.  After his defeat in 2010, Manny Villar, NP President, had publicly vowed he would bow out from politics and fully attend to his business.   Methinks Villar has now suddenly forgotten or conveniently abandoned that vow.  Handwritings are suddenly on the wall that he would try his luck once again for President,  after PNoy's tenure.  Alas, poor Mar Roxas! He had been over-shadowed by PNoy in 2010, he now stands to be eclipsed once more, this time by Villar, come 2016.   Marahil, sasabihin ni PNoy: "Nakuha ko na ang gusto ko, bahala na kayo!"   These are of course how I look as early as now in my crystal ball.

Talking of personal perceptions, aba'y garapalang gustong gaguhin yata tayong mga mamamayang Pilipino  nitong sina PNoy at Villar!  Di ba't sila ang pinakamahigpit magsabuyan ng putik noong 2010?  Biglang
nalulon na ba nila kapwa ang mababahong putik na isinaboy nila sa isa't isa at ngayo'y naging parang mga bakla sila na naglalampungan?  Ika nga naming mga Batanggenyo: "Aba'y kayo na lang ang magpaloko at makisawsaw sa kanilang lampungan.  Kami'y hindi,.ala'y gago ga si Pilo?"

I really do not know what or how others feel, but this is going to be my political conviction when I cast my vote in both the 2013 senatorial and the 2016 presidential elections.