Back-Scratching

Our government leaders have grown up and survived in a culture of scratching each other's backs. Presently led by Gloria Arroyo, this government has inherited a political culture carried down from past administrations. Except the administration of Cory Aquino, I think.

Back-scratching is characterized by rendering a favour to one person with the promise of receiving a favour from the other in the future. Such relationship ties down both parties to a long-term relationship of indebtedness to each other. In the context of Philippine politics, back-scratching is at its height before, during and after elections, and stays on through the years in as long as the government official/s are in power, while there are itches to scratch and backs to be scratched.

Arroyo won overwhelmingly in Maguindanao in the 2004 elections with her greatest opponent, Fernando Poe Jr., getting a highly questionable score of zero. The senatorial election results in said area was 12-0 in favour of the administration candidates. Following the back-scratching culture, she was prepared to reward her allies who made this suspicious landslide possible. Military support, civilian volunteer armed groups, private armies were organized in Maguindanao and other surrounding areas.

This germinated from Executive Order 546, signed by Gloria two years after the 2004 elections, authorizing the deputization of civilian volunteer organizations (CVOs) and the use of barangay tanods as "force multipliers" supposedly in the campaign to wipe out terrorist threats. Those CVOs who will be qualified will undergo in an "army-like" training by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Special Action Force. Once passed, these qualified police auxiliaries will be given long hand guns issued by Philippine National Police (PNP) to assist both the police and military in protecting their barangays from extremities and other lawless element.