Politician's promises - A First Hand Experience

Everyone knows of the promise of GMA not to run as President in 2004 only to go back on her words and got us all to where we are now. Of course, where we are now is either good or bad depending on which side your bread is buttered.

When Erap was interviewed by Randy David while he was a presidentiable in 1998 he vowed to spend at least 3 months every year in Mindanao to directly oversee the development of the region. He conveniently forgot it during his short tenure.

I also remember Lito Osmeña saying he would not stay more than one term as Governor of Cebu claiming that any governor who could not deliver on his promises for the province in three years would not deliver at all; and he vowed he could do it in one term.  He went on to a second term and tried to leave the governorship to his wife when he ran for Vice-President. He and his wife lost.

My first hand experience with politician reneging on their words happened when I was in my grade school days. I lived with my grandparents in a northern town of Cebu. (I have to make this story as generic as possible because some  persons involved are my close friends.) My grandpa was the Vice-Mayor for several terms  back when each term lasted four years.

One day nearing election time Grandpa brought home blank forms for certificate of candidacy. He told me to fill up the forms manually because we did not have a typewriter. He was running for Mayor finally. The Mayor, it seemed, decided to give Grandpa a shot at the post. Grandpa always polled higher than the Mayor during the previous elections. Naturally I thought it was great and about time.

But a few days afterwards he brought back another sheet of certificates of candidacy and told me he was running once more as Vice-Mayor. The incumbent Mayor, who was his partymate and compadre, decided after all that he still wanted to be Mayor. But he promised he'd step down after two years to give way to Grandpa.

I know there was something fishy somewhere in the promise. At any rate, I filled up the forms but deep inside I knew Grandpa was in for a big disappointment.

As expected Grandpa still polled higher than the Mayor. Two years came but the Mayor held on. Grandpa was still Vice-Mayor until the end of the term. A few more terms later when Grandpa was already old, they even had the temerity to ask him to slide down to a Councilor's post. Which he did despite my appeal to go for broke, run for Mayor even at the risk of losing.

So what else is new about trapos?