Written by: Atty. Joseph Philip T. Andres
As the United States of America prepares for the January 20, 2025 inauguration of their 47th President, the returning Donald John Trump, we cannot help but think of the prize of democracy. The sovereign give their authority to the select group of individuals they have chosen to govern them for the duration of the latter’s term. Now, what goes behind the decision making process of the electorate is something which will always be one of the great inexplicable mysteries of life. Because how else can you explain the re-installation of Mr. Trump after he was subject to impeachment not once, but twice. He is the only US President to have that distinction or notoriety. But that is democracy in action.
It was a confluence of factors which brought Mr. Trump back to power; the Republican’s direct and straight to the point slogan of MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! and TRUMP WILL FIX IT!; the inability of the incumbent Joe Biden to defend his post; or perhaps the general perception in America that they are not yet ready for a lady president. Whatever the true reason is, no one will be able to explain it and people will just have to live with its consequences.
We will know soon enough the effects of a Trump presidency in terms of Philippine policy and politics. The President elect is a known (or perceived at the very least) ally of our immediate past president who, along with his Vice President daughter has been a recent “guest” in Congressional inquiries.
On the policy side, we will know the effect of the new Republican leadership on the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) which was signed by the Philippines through then Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and then US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg back in 2014 when the United States of America was under the leadership of Democrats.
Filipinos will be having a similar political exercise in May of 2025 for the all-important mid term election. The mid-term election is an important activity in the Philippine political landscape as it serves as the preview or “warm up” for the big vote in 2028. Aspirants will start making their presence felt to the electorate with the hope of being the next “chosen one”.
Among those to be chosen in 2025 are 12 senators. Aspirants are mostly those seeking a re-election, prospective returnees after their one-term hiatus or a fresh infusion of a family member from the established names in the political landscape – brother, sister, daughter, son – name it, they’re all here.
To encourage the electorate to vote wisely is a cliché which has remained unheeded for the longest time but something still worth repeating so that at the end of the day we could still say “I told you so!”
While we can believe in the saying that we are the masters of our own destiny, the same pre-supposes that we can truly make the right decisions. It doesn’t happen when our choices are based on the behest of people we are dependent on. Otherwise, we just have to live with the consequences of the choices we make. As the famous words (which some consider a self-fulfilling prophecy) of President Manuel Quezon would resonate: “I would rather have a government run like hell by Filipinos than a government run like heaven by Americans.” Truly, the prize or price of democracy!
THE BARRISTER 