Why not Dynasty?

(A pro-dynasty stand. Click here for the anti.)

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! Let me talk about classification. Classification is the ability of a person to separate one thing from another of a different class. What a simple definition, right?

It is that very ability that separates us from animals and made us who we are–human being.

For example, we throw away that which we no longer intend to use or consume. We call them scrap or better yet we call them garbage. So, when something, like food, is thrown into the garbage, we no longer touch much more eat it. Why? Again, because we have classified it as garbage, and as garbage, we no longer eat it.

Try giving food to a person which (food) that person saw you took from a the garbage and see what happens.

In the animal world, however, classification does not exist. So, we are not surprised if here we see a cat eat from the table and see the same cat eat food from the garbage can there. Or are we embarrassed to see our dog make love in public places like the streets.

It must be a very long introduction, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for your indulgence, but I am only about to make my point.

My point is, those who do not classify or do not know how to classify are no more than an animal in the body of a human being. Being such, listening to them is a waste of time.

I am referring to the anti-dynasty proponents, especially the speaker that preceded me (please refer to the immediately preceding piece, An oration piece). His point was simply this: you can not be a politician, much more a good one, if you belong to a family of politicians.

With all due respect to him, his statement doesn’t really make sense to me, and I am sure to many others also. It is like saying, you can not be a doctor because your grandfather is a doctor, or your father, or any member of your family, or dynasty, for that matter is also a doctor.

You see, in politics as in any other calling or profession, predecessors do not make a man.

I agree with him that, having an ascendant politico doesn’t automatically qualify the descendant to be a politico much more an effective one, and vice versa. But I disagree with him that just because my ascendant or descendant is a politico disqualifies me to be voted for and to serve my Country.

The previous speaker was blaming Congress because it failed to comply with the order of the Constitution to at least define the term “dynasty” much more, enact a law that prohibits it. But the problem, my dear brothers and sisters, is not in Congress. The problem lies in our Constitution itself because it failed to put educational attainment as qualification for an elective office.

You see, brothers and sisters, no body clamours if the son of a doctor becomes a doctor himself, or the son of a lawyer becomes also a lawyer because we know for a fact that he worked hard for it, he has the intelligence to become it and therefore he deserves it because he passed the respective licensure examination.

What I am trying to say is, instead of generalizing and in effect, stereotyping candidates or politicians with an ascendant or descendant politico as ineffective, inefficient, whatever, why not move to amend the Constitution, then put educational qualification as a prerequisite for an official position, so that we are assured that those who are elected in the position have at least the required education to be able to discharge his duties. Or better yet, put their blame on the 1987 Constitutional Commissioners (one of them Fr. Bernas) for their omission that we are now in debate.

You see, ladies and gentlemen, if our Constitution placed educational attainment as a requirement for a public position, the dynasty clause in our constitution, ordering Senators to enact an anti-dynasty bill becomes moot. In otherwords, useless!

Why?

Because, the only concern we have about politicians or candidates who belong to the same family that make up the dynasty is that, they do not qualify, and they are in the position simply because of undue advantage they have having a family member already in the position.

As to the argument that they have undue advantage over other candidates by their being members of a political family, what can I say? Every person, although born equal in law, is not born equal in fact. Some are born to rich parents, some are born to parents who do not even have food for a meal. If I am born to rich parents naturally, I will inherit their riches, as well as I will inherit the poverty of my parents if I were born to poor ones.

It is a fact that we do not and can not choose our parents and vice versa. If I am born to famous parents, it is next to impossible that I will die incognito.

This circumstance is beyond our control. We have nothing to blame but fate. We can not argue with fate neither can we control or regulate it.

But, as to the qualifications of candidates, this we can provide limitations. If the unqualified is not allowed to run in the first place, our problem is solved.

Thank you.

To Oration Pieces page