Axed, sacked

Is the Nationalist People’s Coalition a dictatorship or is it a democratically managed political party?

I ask this question because since the election fever struck this country, Occidental Negros in particular, the NPC has been axing and sacking erstwhile loyal members without any apparent reason to explain the expulsion or removal of the hapless and prominent members who had served the party for years.

On the other hand, NPC inducted into its ranks people whose most recent affiliations were from discarded and discredited political groups, politicians whose loyalty shifts with the wind, or smell of where the money is.

In a way, it is poetic justice for NPC to be so composed.

If unceremoniously sacking its members is its policy of addition, then perhaps those who had been sacked without as much as by your leave should be happy because this kind of party is marching into oblivion.

We have seen how, without any explanation, Governor Alfredo Marañon was sacked on the unfounded basis of a report from Rep. Alfredo Benitez. NPC head man, Eduardo Cojuangco later explained that he was fed with wrong information by Benitez.

I tend to believe that the NPC was once again fed with the wrong information when it withdrew its nomination of Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer as the party candidate in the 4th District.

Of course, it is known that the leaning of Ferrer is towards the camp of Gov. Marañon and that to the mind of NPC must be treason.

If that were so, why didn’t NPC have the courage to say so? Why is there a withdrawal of the nomination without as much as giving Ferrer a chance to defend himself?

Whimsical decisions are characteristics of totalitarian regimes. Woe to this country then if the NPC under this same system of treating its members ever comes to power.

This case of Ferrer, as with Marañon, should give the present NPC members the thought of how they would be so cavalierly treated in case they displease, even without proof or chance of an explanation they cross the ire of the NPC hierarchy.

The recent resignation of several candidates in the north was greeted with disdain by Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez as “no big deal.” That response sends a chilling message of how NPC treats  people – they are  arrogantly described as nobodies in the NPC political equation.

Every vote, it is said by all wise politicians, is valuable so that the loss of several candidates who can probably give the NPC just a dozen votes each can be so brusquely waved aside.

Alvarez has already tended a public manner of how he treats people – if they do not serve his interest they are “no big deal.” If I remember right, in a democracy, every man and woman is a big deal, especially if one presents himself as wanting to serve the people.

This reaction shows that some people in Alvarez’ vocabulary can be sneered at.

The character of NPC is further confirmed by the excuses that Alvarez and NPC provincial chairman Elpidio Zayco gave. They both washed their hands of the withdrawal of the nomination of Ferrer but how can they make people believe they did not know?

It is possible that indeed they were not consulted or even informed of the decision of the NPC national leadership. People will be skeptical with that excuse considering that the removal of Ferrer is a big loss. Perhaps Alvarez thinks Ferrer is no big deal in his quest to be governor?

Maybe NPC thinks Ferrer cannot deliver votes for Alvarez so that sacking him really is not a big deal and the latest explanation is mere damage control. The issue, however, is how NPC treats its supporters.

This has repercussions beyond the 4th District. It depicts the kind of NPC leadership in this province in the sad event that NPC candidates win and control the province.

There is a semblance of truth in the commentary of a radio broadcaster – that man y of those who are sticking it out with the NPC believe that the NPC will fund their political ambition even if they are treated shabbily. It is indeed a pity because talks are afoot that the expected funding has not come even to this day, perhaps to some but not to others.

The resignation of the NPC candidates in the north is said to be the failure of NPC to deliver the funds. This comment was echoed by another politician who told me that they are “hangla”, meaning they are grasping for money but there is none even in this late hour.

Were the NPC candidates deluded?*

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