Back-scratching

Submitted by Vox Bikol on Mon, 12/14/2009 - 03:36

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.

Very important note: E.O. 546 gives local officials and PNP the power to deputize these police auxiliaries, according to the Secretary of Department of Interior Local Government himself. The Ampatuan political clan, who held chief executive positions in Maguindanao, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao and a number of municipalities, became one of the most powerful in the country. Recent raids inside and near the Ampatuan mansions revealed hundreds of weapons and thousands of bullets which can arm at least two military brigades. The combination of political power and large quantity of ammunitions was an extremely dangerous mixture. Because of such combination and if allegations were true, the Ampatuans somehow mustered the guts to plan and carry out the Maguindanao massacre. Moreover, the perpetrators would not pursue such scheme if they were not certain they can get away with it. This made the crime worse because the criminals were apparently blinded by power and confident that their partner in back-scratching will help them conceal the truth.

This particular back-scratching relationship between Arroyo and the Ampatuans proved to be excessive. If allegations were true, the tolerance and leeway permitted by Gloria's government to the rich political clan led to the hapless and brutal death of fifty-seven Filipino people.