The race for local government positions in the Philippines formally starts later this week. For most Filipinos, it is just the start of newest season of the never-ending, real-life telenovela “Dynasty”.

While the official campaign is still days away, traditional politicians are not taking things lightly with many of them campaigning way ahead, displaying posters and streamers all over the country. They are also busy finalizing their local slates of candidates and their alignments with the national political parties who they think would provide them the strongest political and financial support, while at the same time assuring their national principals of protection at the local levels.

Acts of violence are also expected to recur more frequently. Local campaigns are said to be dominated in many areas by political clans and dynasties, that employ private armies or are in control of militias authorized by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, to purportedly help in counter-insurgency operations against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.

In many areas, especially those far from Manila, no campaigning is necessary for many candidates who are running unopposed, again no thanks to the political dynasties that practically kill the right of the Filipino to vote and to be voted upon. When a member of a political dynasty reaches the end of the maximum number of terms of office (three terms for congressman, two for local positions), another of the same clan, usually the spouse or son/daughter, would take the place of the outgoing congressman or local executive. 

Let me correct myself, though. This also happens right here in Metro Manila. The rigodon among family members is also a practice in local politics. The only difference is that their rural counterparts tend to be more prone to use violent or coercive means because they are too far away to catch the attention of media, old and new.

There are rare instances that non-members or foes of political dynasties win the elections, as in the cases of Isabela Governor Grace Padaca and Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio who won over the Dy political dynasty and the Lapid and Pineda clans, respectively. But they were relentlessly harassed while in office by local executives allied with the deposed politicians.

The latest political dynasty to rise is the one led by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo herself. Her two sons are currently Members of Congress, and she is angling to replace one of them. The one she hopes to replace is said to be a nominee of a partylist group. Other Arroyo’s are also in Congress representing an pro-administration partylist group and a district in the Visayas. By the way, President Arroyo herself is a daughter of a former president, Diosdado Macapagal. 

Nationally, the most prominent scion of a political dynasty is Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, the standard-bearer of the Liberal Party. He is the only son of the slain Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and former President Corazon Aquino. Both sides of his family, the Aquinos and Cojuangcos, have ruled and represented Tarlac for decades. His family stands accused of the grisly Hacienda Luisita massacre of 2004 which killed at least seven striking farm workers and the subsequent assassination of strike supporters, including a bishop and a priest of the Philippine Independent Church, a councilor of Tarlac City, and union leaders and members — on top of the family’s stubborn refusal to implement authentic distribution of the disputed land. 

The Constitution actually bans political dynasties but Congress has not passed a law to operationalize this prohibition. Why? Because Congress remains a bulwark of political dynasties. Why would they write a death sentence to their political domination? If they would not enact a law on genuine agrarian reform to democratize the national wealth, it is also farfetched that they would democratize Philippine politics through a law banning political dynasties. For these dynasts, especially those who employ private armies, democracy is nothing more than letting the public choose among the contending political dynasties would be allowed its turn to rule local politics or to represent them in Congress.

When “Democracy” would replace “Dynasty” as the top political draw in the Philippines is not here or now, as long as the Arroyos and the Aquinos hog the limelight and not let ordinary Filipinos freely contest the elections and make the political system truly their own.