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| 17 March 1998 |  |
In Jun and Dodos fields of battle, they are ranged against hacienda power centers which had for generations dictated the political agenda in this province. In the past, political warlords, generally owners of large sugar estates, had their sub-alterns or candidates from the non-hacienda areas, run for public office because more often than not, the hacienderos were loathe to campaign when the campaign style that emerged in the 1950s demanded that they come over to the electorates, personally ask for their votes, shake their hands or kiss the babies. I remember clearly how Jose Yulo, of the Negros landed gentry, was clobbered here in Negros because of the report that he washed his hands with alcohol after shaking hands with ordinary folks.
Jun
comes from the hacienda workers family, pulled himself from the mires
of poverty through hardwork, determination, patience, and an intellect
that he harnessed to the full. Fighting the gauntlet of poverty, he succeeded,
becoming a diplomat and later member for the Cabinet, without much fanfare
or ego-tripping. But remembering his past and the thousands of young people
that could have been given the same chance as he had but for the stifling
hacienda environment and failure of the hacienda class in the halls of
government to improve the lot of the ordinary people, he came back, shedding
off the luxury and comfort of a successful man and chose to become the
voice and real representative who will work for his people.
Ranged against Jun are candidates of landed families whose claim to represent the teeming masses is their being landed. There is nothing wrong with being landed and being a congressman, but Juns opponents have all been tested as representatives of the 5th district and were found extremely wanting even for that lower office. Maybe because they represented their own class rather than the masses?
The same thing with Dodo Bustamante who is facing another symbol of
the landed class whose performance had been found wanting and, worse, exhibited
traits of an hacendero of the ancient past even to these days. Dodo is
given little chance by some, but Dodo believes the people deserve someone
with professional and intellectual competence to stand and represent them
in Congress. His chances are, in fact, getting better these days because
he goes down into the by-ways of the district and immerses himself with
the people who now see him as a way out of feudal politics.
John Orola is also fighting against hacienda votes and entrenched political
machineries that had rotated in holding power in Bacolod. These machineries
also arose from feudal politics that collaborated with urban economic interests.
John embodies a new breed of politician who has a clear program of legislation
and action which are missing among the urban feudal politicians who still
make the same trite promises they never fulfill when they win. They have
only their own, their patrons or financiers interests at heart.
Modesto Sa-Onoy