Dick Gordon on pushing for two party system in PH

Summary

The speaker discusses the issues within the Philippines' political party system, emphasizing its corruption and lack of accountability. They reflect on past elections and party switching, arguing for the restoration of a two-party system with better candidate vetting. The speaker stresses the need for stricter laws to prevent party switching and hold politicians accountable, noting the collapse of political systems and the country's stagnation despite its potential. They express hope for change, advocating for citizens to assert their rights and duties in order to fix the country's political landscape.

Takeaways

• 🤔 Party switching is a major issue in the political system, contributing to instability.
• 📜 Magsaysay and other political figures switched between parties, illustrating the lack of loyalty and consistency.
• ⚖️ The speaker plans to propose a law that prohibits individuals who switch parties from running in the next election, extending the prohibition to their relatives.
• 🗳️ The lack of accountability and enforcement of laws has weakened the political system.
• 💡 The speaker believes in returning to a two-party system, aligning with the presidential form of government.
• 🏛️ Past conventions, such as the Manila Hotel convention, once focused on selecting the best candidates, but this practice has faded.
• 💰 Today's political landscape allows people to buy or create their own parties, eroding the integrity of the process.
• 🔍 The speaker criticizes the lack of proper vetting for candidates, emphasizing the minimal qualifications required to run for office.
• 📉 The speaker argues that the collapse of the party system has contributed to the country falling behind in progress.
• 🌟 Despite the grim outlook, the speaker remains optimistic, quoting 'The Fault, dear Brutus, is not in Our Stars but in ourselves,' implying that citizens must take responsibility for the situation.

Q & A

What is the speaker's main concern about the current party system?

The speaker is concerned that the party system is 'rotten to the core,' with frequent party switching and a lack of accountability, which weakens the political structure and leads to poor governance.

How does the speaker view party switching in elections?

The speaker views party switching as a major issue and proposes that candidates who switch parties should be prohibited from running in the next election, including their relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity.

What does the speaker suggest about the role of citizens in improving the political system?

The speaker emphasizes the need for citizens to assert their rights, hold politicians accountable, and actively participate in improving the political system rather than just complaining about it.

What does the speaker propose to restore integrity in the political system?

The speaker suggests returning to a two-party system to restore accountability and ensure that the parties vet and select the best candidates for public office.

Why does the speaker believe that the current system has caused the country to fall behind?

The speaker argues that the collapse of the political system, including the lack of proper party vetting and rampant party switching, has caused the country to fall behind despite the capabilities of the Filipino people.

What is the speaker's criticism of the current process of selecting candidates?

The speaker criticizes the lack of proper candidate vetting, stating that today anyone can create their own party and pay their way to power, without regard for qualifications or merit.

What does the speaker mean by quoting 'The Fault, dear Brutus, is not in Our Stars but in ourselves'?

By quoting this line from Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar,' the speaker means that the problems in the political system are not due to external factors, but rather the result of the citizens' own actions and lack of accountability.

What does the speaker hope to achieve if they return to the Senate?

The speaker aims to pass legislation that would prevent party switching by prohibiting candidates who switch parties from running in the next election, in an effort to bring stability and integrity to the political system.

How does the speaker view the qualifications required to run for public office?

The speaker views the current qualifications for running for office as too lenient, pointing out that there are minimal requirements, such as age and literacy, which do not guarantee the competence of a candidate.

What is the speaker's attitude toward the future of the political system?

While the speaker expresses frustration with the current state of the political system, they maintain optimism, suggesting that with proper reforms and accountability, there is hope for improvement.

Outlines

00:00

🔄 The Rotting Political Party System

The speaker reflects on how every election has been contested due to a corrupt party system. He recalls the shifts in political affiliations over time, citing examples like Magsaysay and the liberal-national divide. He criticizes the constant switching of parties and expresses frustration with the failure to address these issues. The speaker vows to pass legislation to prohibit politicians who switch parties from running in future elections, extending the prohibition to their relatives. He emphasizes the need for citizens to assert their rights and hold people accountable, lamenting the lack of enforcement of laws and proper political vetting.

📉 Party Collapse and Lack of Accountability

The speaker argues that the current party system is a major factor in the country’s decline, attributing the collapse to a lack of accountability and proper candidate vetting. He reminisces about the last meaningful political convention, where parties genuinely considered the best candidates, and contrasts it with today's situation, where parties can be created or bought by individuals. He blames the weakened system for the country's failures, despite the potential of the Filipino people. He stresses that the qualifications to run for office are minimal, sometimes less than what is required for a janitor, and calls for reform.

🌀 The Fault in Ourselves

Ending on a reflective note, the speaker references Shakespeare’s *Julius Caesar*, stating that the 'fault is not in our stars, but in ourselves.' He believes that the root cause of the country’s problems lies within its people and the choices they make. The system has collapsed due to internal issues, and only by addressing these can the nation move forward. While the speaker remains optimistic, he underscores the need for collective responsibility and self-awareness in fixing the political system.

Keywords

💡Party System

The party system refers to the organized political groups in a country. In the context of the video, the speaker criticizes the party system in the Philippines, calling it 'rotten to the core,' and describes how politicians frequently switch parties for personal gain rather than ideological reasons. This highlights the lack of accountability and structure in the current political landscape.

💡Magsaysay

Magsaysay refers to Ramon Magsaysay, a former President of the Philippines known for his populist policies and efforts to fight corruption. The speaker contrasts Magsaysay’s leadership with the current state of political affairs, suggesting that past leaders upheld stronger values compared to the present political situation.

💡Switching Parties

Switching parties describes the act of politicians changing their political affiliations, often for personal or strategic reasons. The speaker criticizes this practice, proposing a law that would prevent such politicians from running in the next election, reflecting the desire for political accountability and stability.

💡Two-Party System

A two-party system is a political system where two major parties dominate the political landscape. The speaker advocates for a return to this system, arguing that it would strengthen democracy and create better vetting processes for candidates, in contrast to the current system where 'you can even buy your own party.'

💡Conventions

Conventions, in this context, refer to formal gatherings where political parties select their candidates for elections. The speaker reminisces about a time when conventions were taken seriously, with parties genuinely vetting candidates based on merit, suggesting that today's political process lacks such rigor.

💡Accountability

Accountability is the obligation of political leaders to be answerable for their actions. The speaker laments the lack of accountability in modern politics, stating that 'the people are not held to account.' This reflects the core issue in the video: a political system that fails to enforce responsibility and transparency.

💡Presidential Form of Government

A presidential form of government is a system where the president serves as both the head of state and government, separate from the legislative branch. The speaker connects this to the need for a two-party system, arguing that the current fragmented party landscape does not serve the presidential structure effectively.

💡Best Candidate

The 'best candidate' refers to the idea that political parties should select the most qualified and capable individuals to run for office. The speaker argues that this is no longer the case, as today’s candidates are often chosen based on their financial power rather than their ability to lead, weakening the democratic process.

💡Vetting Process

Vetting process refers to the thorough examination and evaluation of candidates' qualifications before they are nominated for election. The speaker emphasizes the lack of a proper vetting process in today’s political system, implying that unqualified individuals are allowed to run for office, leading to poor governance.

💡Janitor Analogy

The janitor analogy is used to illustrate how even non-political jobs sometimes have stricter qualifications than those required for public office. The speaker sarcastically comments that a janitor might need a college degree, while a political candidate only needs basic qualifications like age and literacy, underscoring the flaws in the political system.

Highlights

Every election has been contested, and the party system is rotten to the core.

Magsaysay was a Liberal and switched to Nationalista, reflecting frequent party changes.

There's constant switching of parties, yet we keep complaining about issues without fixing them.

A proposed law suggests prohibiting candidates who switch parties from running in the next election.

This prohibition would extend to candidates' relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity.

We need to enforce laws, assert our rights as citizens, and hold people accountable.

The speaker advocates for returning to a two-party system in a presidential form of government.

The last time there was a reasonable convention was when Marcos was elected; today, anyone can create or buy a party.

The current system allows for the manipulation of party structures based on wealth and influence.

The speaker notes that the system's collapse is why the country has fallen behind despite its people's greatness.

There is no proper vetting of candidates today; anyone with basic qualifications can run.

The speaker sarcastically points out that even janitors often have stricter qualification requirements than politicians.

The speaker expresses optimism but emphasizes the need to fix systemic issues.

The root of the country’s problems lies not in fate but in the people themselves.

The speaker references Julius Caesar to emphasize that the people's failure to act is the cause of their political woes.

Transcripts

you know every election has been

contested even the party system is

rotten to the core Magsaysay turn

nationally Stan he was a liberal

recently under kareena mark was turn

were liberal to national east again

during this a debacle time there was a

switching of parties all the time we

keep complaining about the things that

we do not like but we never fix it when

I go back to the Senate I'm going to

make sure I pass it this time and I

filed it that anybody who switches

parties must be prohibited from running

in the next election including his

relatives to the for civil degree of

consanguinity an affinity and therefore

is there hope yesterday hope there's

hopefully discounted for out for many

reasons but we have to enforce the law

again assert our rights as citizens do

our duty as citizens and that means the

big a word assertion and the other a

accountability the people are not held

to account nada nothing we should go

back to the do party system because

we're in a presidential form of

government and if we have a two-party

system we should have within the parties

as I noticed the last time I thought I

was there when Mark was elected I was

Foreman Lambos we were trying to come

out the third party my father was in

that convention the manila hotel he

wasn't for pelaez at the time that was

the last time we ever had a convention a

reasonable convention that this the

parties take a look at the best

candidates that are available and they

try to make the presentation today there

is no such thing today you can even buy

your own party you can create your own

party and he who pays the piper plays a

tune the cinema para shall go home bus

so that is how this happened to our

country that's why casinos like to

l'occitane con measure a man Ranallo

hindi you may proceed oh hindi capable

you know how to the sudden he says it

any wonder why we fall we have fallen

behind in spite of the greatest of the

Filipino people we have fallen behind

because the systems of collapse you said

it was it you said earlier this issue

collapse and you can see the party's

over there is no there is no wrecking

there's no wedding party should vet I

mean is this the best candidate we can

have is he qualified under the law I

mean especially in a very sparse

qualification system where they all day

requires in age and be able to know how

to read and write and be a resident

there is no you know a janitor has a

better qualifications sometimes they

require college graduate degree so I

don't mean to be pessimistic I'm a very

optimistic person you throw me whatever

you have an answering that bad and I

look at the you know the lining the

silver lining but you know The Fault

dear Brutus is not in Our Stars but in

ourselves that we are underlings juju

Caesar and that is what is happening to

our country