THE following piece may sound late in coming, but we would like to proceed anyway, given that there are good insights and observations that we can gain lessons from, especially in these times when propriety and decency have long left the building.

        There are a number of things to be happy about with the conclusion of the recent mid-term elections. First, former Comelec Commissioner Garcillano (what’s his first name?) of the “Hello Garci” notoriety miserably lost in the congressional race in his district in Mindanao. Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao who after spending hundreds of millions of pesos of his own blood money, lost, too, sparing us of one more simpleton in the House of Representatives. Through the people’s voice, the pugilist was told to flex his muscles instead in the ring, where he rightfully belongs. Thirdly, a parish priest won the governorship in Pampanga, where the wife of a suspected big-time jueteng operator almost clinched the post, the latter an eventuality that every right-thinking Filipino would be so ashamed even to imagine. The other good news is that Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca, despite the rash of roadblocks ranged against her, is rearing to be proclaimed, dashing off hopes of an erstwhile long-running political dynasty to regain power.

        Here at home, we saw the debacle of a wife and husband team who would have wanted to become a town mayor and vice-mayor all at the same time. And so was the husband’s brother who fought it out with and lost to his own brother-in-law for mayorship in a railroad town. Suddenly, their familiar family titles as the honorable mayor or vice mayor or provincial kagawad may have to rest for good (or for a while?).

        Then the wives of at least two outgoing town mayors also hit the wall in their failed bids to continue their husbands’ reigns, constrained as they were by electoral term limits.

        And we dare to ask: Are we now moving, albeit slowly, towards enlightened exercise of the right of suffrage? That we are reclaiming back our grandfathers’ sense of discernment and delicadeza?

        Of course, there were the usual election horror stories reported as they were by TV and the newspapers, captioned unsparingly as the wildest circus that comes to our country every three years.

        But times are a-changing, boosted by some of the heartwarming stories above. Hopefully, the journey to better days -- paved by reformed political exercises -- will not be long in coming.


Far from ideal

        It appears inevitable now that Alan Cayetano and Koko Pimentel will finally make it to the final 12 in the senatorial race, eager to join their sister and father, respectively, in the august halls of the Senate. Thank God, the other Peter Cayetano was declared a nuisance candidate. It would have been more puzzling, if not amazing, to an alien from another planet if John Osmeña, Mike Defensor, and Tessie Oreta made it to the Magnificant 12 list and found cousin Serge and auntie Merriam waiting for each pair’s family salo-salo. Noynoy Aquino and Auntie Tessie would arrive a few minutes later.

        Political writer Eric Gutierrez said that the phenomenon of political families makes the distribution of political power less than ideal. Many scholars say the Philippines is an oligarchy where only a few rule. Others call it democracy for the elites.

        Such entrenched oligarchy makes it difficult for newcomers of lesser pedigree and economic status to break into mainstream politics which should otherwise be the case in a truly democratic system.