ELECTION
FORENSICS 2007
News Release No. 03
Political
Fiefdoms Dig In
A
look at the election outcome in some of the political turfs
would show whether the geopolitical balance of power has changed
without necessarily shaking the infrastructures of political
dynasties in those areas.
By
the Policy Study, Publication and Advocacy (PSPA)
Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG)
May 21, 2007
One
of the biggest gainers in the May 14 mid-term elections is the
Macapagal-Arroyo political clan, now headed by incumbent President
Gloria M. Arroyo. With two sons of Mrs. Arroyo winning House
seats – Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo (1st District,
Camarines Sur) and reelectionist Rep. Mikey Arroyo (2nd District,
Pampanga) – and reelectionist Rep. Ignacio “Iggy”
Arroyo, a brother-in-law, regaining his seat (5th District,
Negros Occidental), the Macapagal-Arroyo clan expands the political
dynasty began by patriarch Diosdado Macapagal who was elected
to Congress in 1949. Diosdado eventually became the country’s
fifth President in 1961. Ignacio Arroyo is reportedly being
groomed to succeed House Speaker Jose de Venecia who has also
clinched his reelection bid (4th District, Pangasinan).
The
clan of Macapagal-Arroyo has been in power for 58 years, broken
only by the Marcos dictatorship. Even if the clan has spun out
its political presence in Camarines Sur and Negros, it has a
lot of damage control coming up what with the province of Pampanga
- considered Mrs. Arroyo’s bailiwick and father Diosdado’s
birthplace - going to a new governor, Fr. Ed Panlilio. “Among
Ed” Panlilio, the first Catholic priest elected in government,
won by a small margin over Lilia Pineda and incumbent Gov. Mark
Lapid, both Arroyo allies. Pineda is married to Rodolfo “Bong”
Pineda, alleged to be a top jueteng (illegal numbers game) lord.
Votes
in nearly 50 of the country’s 80 provincial posts have
been counted along with those cast in many House district races.
Many of the winners, including mayoralty candidates, have been
proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Partial
results of the elections show reigning political dynasties still
well-entrenched, a few of them trounced but only to be replaced
by new political clans while others have kept their fiefdoms
with even more elective posts taken.
Except
for new political figures such as Fr. Panlilio and Grace Padaca,
who has regained her governorship of Isabela but whose proclamation
has been stalled, the fraud-ridden mid-term elections saw no
qualitative change in the structure of political dynasties that
have dominated Philippine politics for over a century. In fact
fraud and violence, in many cases, according to poll watch groups,
backed by military and police forces, proved to be decisive
in enabling political clans including many administration candidates
to dig in.
Who’s
in, who’s out
A
look at the election outcome in some of the political turfs
would show whether the geopolitical balance of power has changed
even without necessarily shaking the infrastructures of political
dynasties in those areas:
Tarlac:
Victor Yap, who also belongs to a political clan, beats former
Rep. Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, Jr., brother of former
President Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino. Not to worry, Cojuangco,
Jr.’s setback will not affect the political hold of the
Aquino-Cojuangco dynasty, with Benigno “Noynoy”
Aquino III expected to win in the Senate. Moreover, Jeci Lapus,
is elected congressman (3rd District, Tarlac). He is a cousin
of the late Sen. Benigno Aquino, Jr., and brother of former
representative and now Education Secretary Jesli Lapus. Monica
Louise Teodoro, wife of Gilberto Teodoro, Jr., also wins a seat
(1st District, Tarlac). Teodoro, Jr., is a nephew of former
Marcos crony Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, Jr., said
to be the country’s top political kingpin. “Danding”
Cojuangco’s son, Marcos Jr., is reelected congressman
(4th District, Pangasinan).
Ilocos
Sur: Despite doubts Ilocos political lord and outgoing Gov.
Luis “Chavit” Singson will make it in the Senate
under the Team Unity (TU) ticket, son Ronald is elected representative
(2nd District, Ilocos Norte), brother Jeremias is elected vice
governor, and cousin Eric retains his House post (2nd District,
same province). A sister, “Honey Girl” Singson-de
Leon, sits in the Arroyo government as chair of the Philippine
Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). Another Singson, Allen, wins
as mayor of Candon City. The Singsons trace their ancestral
roots to Joaquin Ayco, a 17th century merchant from China. Their
forefathers have ruled the capital city, Vigan, as far back
as the 1800s.
Nueva
Ecija: Rep. Aurelio Umali wins as governor at the expense of
a member of the Joson clan, Vice Gov. Mariano Cristino Joson.
Another Joson, Tomas III, also loses his bid for governor of
the province. But it’s not all lost to the Joson dynasty
that has lorded over Nueva Ecija for 47 years: Eduardo Nonato
Joson (Tomas III’s brother) is elected to the House (1st
District, Nueva Ecija) while Eduardo Basilio Manuel is reelected
mayor of Quezon town.
Bicol
Region. There are both upsets and setbacks among political clans
in this region. Clobbered are the Espinosas of Masbate with
Rep. Emilio Espinosa, House deputy speaker for Luzon, beaten
by Dr. Elisa Olga Kho, wife of outgoing Gov. Antonio Kho. Maloli
Espinosa-Manalastas, eldest daughter of slain Rep. Moises Espinosa,
loses to the new governor’s husband, in the congressional
race (2nd District, Masbate).The Espinosas were in power since
the 1930s with family patriarch, Emilio Espinosa, Sr., elected
to the 10th Philippine legislature. The Khos are also a long-time
political clan. Rep. Luis Villafuerte is reportedly headed for
a landslide (2nd District, Camarines Sur); Rep. Arnulfo Fuentebella
and Rep. Felix Alferol, Jr. (3rd District and 4th District,
Camarines Sur) also regain their seats. Villafuerte, a former
Marcos crony, is at odds with his son, Luis Raymundo, Jr., who
has won as governor. Meanwhile, Jesse Robredo is reelected mayor
of Naga City against Jojo Villafuerte. The Fuentebellas and
Robredos are now political rivals, despite their being relatives
with a common Chinese ancestry dating back to the 19th century.
The Fuentebella patriarch, Jose, won as assemblyman in 1909.
La
Union: La Union in northern Philippines has been the fiefdom
of the Ortegas since 1934 when Francisco Ortega first won as
congressman. Son Rep. Manuel Ortega wins as governor while Pablo
Ortega, brother of Francisco Ortega, Jr., is elected mayor of
San Fernando, the capital city. Fifteen members of the Ortega
clan ran for various elective positions and party-list (Abono)
in La Union, Baguio City and Manila in the May 14 elections.
Cebu:
Gwendolyn Garcia, who belongs to the pro-Arroyo Garcia clan,
is reelected governor. Gwendolyn’s father, Pablo Garcia,
served as governor (1995-2004) and is running for Congress (2nd
District) in the May 14 elections while brother Pablo John is
vying for a House seat (3rd District). Political rivals in Cebu
are the extended clan of the Osmeñas, Del Mars and Dela
Ramas; the Cuencos; and Gullases. All of them have also fielded
several candidates in the mid-term polls.
Others
from political families who have won or been reelected are:
Rodolfo Plaza and Democrito Plaza, won as congressman and mayor
of Butuan City, respectively, Agusan del Sur; Jose Ma. Zubiri,
Jr., Jose Ma. Zubiri III, and Ignacio Zubiri, governor, congressman
(3rd District) and Malaybalay City vice mayor, respectively,
Bukidnon; Ramon Durano III and Ramon Durano, Jr., mayor and
vice mayor of Danao City, Cebu; Rogelio Espina, governor of
Biliran; Julio Ledesma IV, congressman (3rd District, Negros
Occidental); Raul Gonzales, Jr., congressman (Iloilo); Carmencita
Reyes, congressman (Marinduque); and Vilma Santos, governor
of Batangas, and wife of reelectionist Sen. Ralph Recto, a member
of the Rectos whose political life dates back to Claro M. Recto
(assemblyman, 1918).
Philippine
politics has long been dominated by political dynasties numbering
about 250 – or 0.00001667 percent of the country’s
15 million families - with each of the country’s 80 provinces
kept under the thumbs of at least one dynasty. In turn, these
political dynasties run a patronage system of local political
families and networks of supporters bound together by interlocking
political and commercial interests.
For
reference:
Prof.
Bobby Tuazon
Director
Policy Study, Publication and Advocacy (PSPA)
Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG)
TelFax 929-9526; Mobile Phone 0915-6418055
Email address: cenpeg.info@gmail.com
Website: http://www.cenpeg.org
Election
Forensics 2007 peers into the May 14 mid-term elections particularly
accounts of fraud, voters’ disenfranchisement, vote-padding
and –shaving as well as on the results and implications.
It is CenPEG’s contribution to the monitoring, investigation
and assessment of the elections with the long-term objective of
undertaking electoral reform, policy study, and people’s
governance.
CenPEG’s
Pool of Political Analysts
Through
its Policy Study, Publication and Advocacy Program (PSPA), CenPEG’s
Pool of Political Analysts and Fellows is guided by a multi-disciplinary
approach in dissecting the issues and nuances of Philippine
politics. They are:
