After pomp and pageantry that come with the inaugurations and new terms of office that have been cornered mostly by the flourishing local political dynasties our voters love to patronize, come the announcements and pronouncements that try to convince the voting public that they made the right choice in voting for a former public official’s next of kin, close family member, or chosen one.
This “transition period” from one generation or branch of a political dynasty to another can be a good time for us because we get to be reminded of their campaign promises and how they want to make a “fresh start” that they hope differentiates them from their predecessor that they either share genes or a bedroom with.
Political dynasties are supposed to be bad for any democracy, but since we still don’t have a law against it, despite the Constitution begging for one, courtesy of a House of Representatives that is packed with full-fledged members of political dynasties who would never endanger their family businesses with such a piece of legislation, we end up with no choice but to tolerate them and normalize their existence. Because the voter is always right and we deserve the government we collectively put in power.
Anyway, aside from choosing not to vote for such people and telling friends and family members about it, there isn’t much private individuals can do about the political dynasties that continue to thrive in this country. So all we can do right now, especially after a new set of familiar last names take over, is pay attention when they make their inaugural flexes, to see if we can divine which direction our communities will be going in the foreseeable future.
One of the reasons why political dynasties are discouraged, aside from undermining democratic equality, and the added risk of corruption and patronage, is that it limits innovation. As the saying goes, “birds of the same feather are the same bird.” That means when a dynasty is firmly in place, we should expect to see the same old same old, over and over again. The dynastico politico would probably reply by saying “If it ain’t broke, why fix it,” and that is most likely the reason why with our low standards that they love, we have become happy with things that ain’t broke, instead of giving a chance for those that could deliver excellence or beyond our expectations.
That is why, even though the dynasties are winning and consolidating their grip on power, these early days can still matter. It may feel like there is nothing we can do anymore, as there is no law to stop them, voters seem willing to sell out just hand them the power, and even potential challengers don’t bother to step up anymore, knowing how slim the chances are of winning against a deeply entrenched and determined dynasty. But if they know that we are watching, especially the rookies that have just been brought into service, there is still a chance that the dynasty either somehow improves, or outright cracks. It’s not a good chance, but it’s better than none at all.
If you come to think of it, we can console ourselves that a new member of the dynasty taking power also allows for some new ideas and innovation, and since they have their own backgrounds, life experiences, and circle of friends, they have different ways of doing things and looking at the world than their predecessor. And I guess that is why we need to encourage them to try their best to impress when they are still starting out, for it may lead to something good. After all, they are already there in the position of power, courtesy of the advantages of belonging to a dynasty that was never made illegal in this country, so we might as well let them have the chance to shine.
Hopefully, the new entries of their respective political dynasties are the type who want to make pasikat and prove that they, and their family name by extension, can be the exception to the globally accepted assumption that comes with their ilk. As we wait in vain for our public officials to finally do something about the scourge and proliferation of unchecked political dynasties through proper legislation, a collaborative effort that involves those in power and the people they are supposed to serve will hopefully make that particular pill that we have no choice but to take, a little bit easier to swallow.
If we cannot get rid of political dynasties, all we can do is hope that those who belong to it and stay in power because of their family names and gene pool, can somehow find ways to surprise us with the kind of public service that we do not expect from them. This new set of elected officials are hopefully ready and willing to break the mold.*
