Former president Joseph Estrada
MANILA, Philippines—What dynasty? Despite parading relatives of incumbent officials on its senatorial slate, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) is not bothered by the growing campaign against political dynasties in time for the 2013 mid-term elections.
Former President Joseph Estrada, a senior UNA leader, said Wednesday critics should not take his family to task for seeking elective positions, insisting that “the final decision is still with the people.”
“It’s the people who will decide, that’s democracy,” he said in a phone interview. “It’s not like we’re employing ‘guns, goons and gold’ to win seats. We leave it to the voters.”
The Estradas have made San Juan their political bailiwick after he first claimed the mayoral seat more than 30 years ago. He was later succeeded by his son Jinggoy and JV, whose mother Guia Gomez is the incumbent mayor.
Jinggoy is now a senator and JV will end up joining him in the 16th Congress if he wins in next year’s senatorial elections. JV is running under UNA, whose slate also includes Nancy Binay, daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay, and Rep. Jack Enrile, son of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
President Aquino’s senatorial ticket is not spared in the campaign against political dynasties. It includes his cousin Bam and reelectionist Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, whose sister Pia is also an incumbent senator. Mr. Aquino’s aunt, Margarita “Ting Ting” Cojuangco is running with UNA.
Rep. Cynthia Villar, wife of outgoing Sen. Manuel Villar, is also with the administration slate. Mr. Aquino and Senator Villar waged a bitter campaign against each other in the 2010 presidential election.
Estrada said he did not see a problem even if political power was concentrated on a few families in the country, a major concern of groups campaigning against political dynasties.
“It’s important to look at the track record,” said the 75-year-old Estrada, who is running for mayor of Manila. “Families who do not serve the public well do not get voted in the next election. In my case, I have nothing in my mind anymore but to protect our name and leave a legacy.”
Estrada said he was confident that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would not be able to duplicate his feat when both his wife Luisa and son Jinggoy won Senate seats while he was in jail.
He dared Arroyo, now under hospital arrest, to field her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo and son Juan Miguel “and see what will happen.” “Let’s see if they would win,” he said in Filipino.
The younger Arroyo is a partylist congressman representing Ang Galing Pinoy, a group supposedly representing security guards. It was disqualified by the Commission on Elections for next year’s partylist elections.
Estrada said having a family member succeed another one also had its advantages. He said it would help ensure “continuity” of projects, which are “often disrupted when a new administration takes over.”