Illicit marriage between popularity and politics

As the deadline for the filing of Certificate of Candidacy (COC) is closing in, the Philippines Commission on Elections (Comelec) has been transformed into a
chaotic arena where many celebrities scamper to run for public office. As if they are the ones who could alleviate the sad plights of the poor from poverty.

Now, it is up to the people as to whether to vote for them or not. But can the popularity of these celebrities really push them to the edge of victory? This is a big question that could be gauged once the national elections in May 2012 come to reality.

In Metro Manila alone and some cities in the suburbs like the Calabarzon area, scions of political kingpins have been launched into the political limelight, thinking that they are the cream of the crop whose extra political talents could solve the economic and social problems of their constituents.

How come all this development is coming into the picture? Why the rush to join the political bandwagon when they are still young enough to rake in more money from their stardom? And I don't think that being a politician would give them more financial resources compared to being in the entertainment industry where huge offers will be more than enough to sustain their whims and caprices in life.

I have only one answer. If I'm not mistaken, the first thing that they will tell you if you ask them they run for public office is that they wanted to help the poor people.

Although they may not tell us the second reason, I guess it would be to be for financial stability and power, which are not have by being a celebrity. If you try to make a cursory look at their qualifications, you will notice that they barely set foot in college. What do the public expect from these kind of politicians? For me, there's nothing but their being popular to the movie-goers.

For example, right now the Philippine Congress is a nest-bed for lawmakers who are either close relatives or celebrities. You can see that during deliberations on certain important bills, they could barely engage others in fierce debates due to their lack of the knowledge to argue on certain political issues that are discussed in the plenary sessions.

However, these shortcomings are easily overcome. Normally, what they do is to hire lawyers and other professionals to act as their alter egos in the performance of their duties as public officials. In the course of running the public office, there are dangers that lurk ahead along the way. When a certain public official is not well-rounded on political, economic and social issues, sometimes he is caught flat-footed during official discussions and argumentations. Why? Because their backgrounds are not suited to modern politics.