Shadow play

When we were children and there were no movies or television, we got to see moving figures of a story in a shadow play. We paid two or three sticks of matches or if the match is “strike anywhere” that was brought in by American soldiers, we paid only one stick.

Shadow play is an ancient form of storytelling with figures controlled by a puppeteer projected on a screen and in front of a light, in our case a kingki or small kerosene lamp or rarely a candle.

The figures cast shadows and a skilled puppeteer can make the figure, walk, dance, run and fight. As the storyteller goes on with his tale the puppets also responded with appropriate movements.

This game is already gone into the recesses of memory, although still thriving in other countries. The last one I saw was in Indonesia in 1985 but they are common in India, China and Japan.

I was reminded of the game as I followed the development of the provincial political maneuvers, the latest of which was the meeting of several mayors with three congressmen who came up with a “common” candidate” for the post of governor and vice governor in 2013.

It was a surprise meeting, a surprise in the sense that there was no advanced notice to the people who are involved although there was a report that the Nationalist People’s Alliance was in search of a common candidate to put an end to the impasse that threatens the unity of the NPC in Occidental Negros and consequently of the United Negros Alliance.

Of course, the UNA can continue to exist with some NPC and other assorted political groups under it but with the NPC fielding its own candidate for governor and other positions way down the line, UNA’s relevance can be just another shadow play.   

In fact, UNA would be a garnishing.

The meeting of the mayors which Vice Governor, the anointed candidate of the NPC for governor, said were mostly identified with re-electionist Governor Alfredo Marañon was also attended by two congressmen allied with Gov. Marañon – Cong. Alejandro Mirasol and Cong. Jeffrey Ferrer. Rep. Albee Benitez was reportedly there as well.

The meeting came out with the common candidate, La Carlota City Mayor Juliet Marie Ferrer, wife of Rep. Ferrer. Interviewed, Mayor Ferrer said she felt honored and was willing to accept the offer. Marañon and Alvarez although civil about it, rejected the plan.

They stuck to their decision to run for the position of governor. One thing clearer is that Alvarez is more categorical this time, no more ifs and no more buts.

Then the common candidate came out to be the reported choice as  running mate of Marañon, in effect, reiterating the talks that she would be an ideal tandem for Marañon.

I think that the meeting and the choice of Mayor Ferrer as the running mate of Marañon was a shadow play. It was entertaining but more importantly she suddenly got publicity that she could never have had when she was just announced as the candidate for vice governor with Marañon.

The mayors tested the waters and Mayor Ferrer got a warm welcome. Her biography was in media’s lips and her acceptability was high.

She was an excellent candidate considering her performance in La Carlota City. The tale was well-woven and the shadow play got a good review.

Although we can give the mayors and the congressmen the benefit of the doubt that they are really concerned with coming out with a common candidate the reality is that their announcement shows that they were all engaged in a shadow play.

They knew that Marañon was firm in his decision and though Alvarez was dependent on the decision of the NPC leadership, a change of candidates would put the NPC in a difficult position. It cannot withdraw its endorsement of Alvarez without telegraphing a state of weakness in the face of Marañon’s unbending decision.

Marañon had been repeating and reiterating his decision to run. How would he look if he withdrew in the face of a common, dictated candidate? He would have appeared a weakling at this time when his firmness is getting plenty of support.

He dared to stand in the face of dictation while Alvarez appears to be beholden to the powers in Manila. The sentiment is that the people of this province have had enough of dictation by Imperial Manila. Marañon’s apparent defiance is looked at as heroism.

He is sacrificing or taking a high risk in this decision, unbowed by hopes for campaign funds. Alvarez’s candidacy is seen to be the opposite, that money is primordial. The shadow play revealed the puppeteers and puppets.*

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