by Jojo A. Robles (Manila Standard)
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideOpinion.htm?f=2010/march/23/jojorobles.isx&d=2010/march/23
People who defend the iron grip that certain families have had on the politics of this country for generations like to say that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree. The reality, of course, isn’t so easily contained in any aphorism, no matter how quaint and hoary.
Children may share the looks or other physical qualities of their parents, just as siblings and even cousins possess the same superficial attributes. But that’s as far as it goes, unless one is making a case to elect someone on the sole basis of familial ties.
We’ve seen this tree-to-fruit correspondence worked near to death in the case of Noynoy Aquino, even if we have no proof whatsoever that Noynoy is as politically astute and overachieving as his father or as sincere and well-meaning as his mother. Then, of course, there’s the matter of Kris Aquino, who shares even fewer of the outward attributes of either of her parents and who still has no qualms of pushing her brother’s candidacy—and even of explaining her own actions—because of this family connection.
If the people who regularly make this all-too-easy conclusion were truly honest, they’ll admit that they are merely justifying their own political leanings. Or simply hoping that the admirable qualities of the parents could somehow—despite a ton of evidence to the contrary—be transferred to their offspring.
Indeed, even the Aquino camp has already moved on from the Ninoy-Cory link that they constantly bombarded people with at the beginning of the campaign, perhaps after seeing how this strategy has only made Noynoy steadily lose ground to his less pedigreed rivals. After all, if Noynoy did somehow inherit his forebears’ good qualities (and only the good ones, mind you), what does that make Gibo Teodoro, who comes from the same family, after all?
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideOpinion.htm?f=2010/march/23/jojorobles.isx&d=2010/march/23
People who defend the iron grip that certain families have had on the politics of this country for generations like to say that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree. The reality, of course, isn’t so easily contained in any aphorism, no matter how quaint and hoary.
Children may share the looks or other physical qualities of their parents, just as siblings and even cousins possess the same superficial attributes. But that’s as far as it goes, unless one is making a case to elect someone on the sole basis of familial ties.
We’ve seen this tree-to-fruit correspondence worked near to death in the case of Noynoy Aquino, even if we have no proof whatsoever that Noynoy is as politically astute and overachieving as his father or as sincere and well-meaning as his mother. Then, of course, there’s the matter of Kris Aquino, who shares even fewer of the outward attributes of either of her parents and who still has no qualms of pushing her brother’s candidacy—and even of explaining her own actions—because of this family connection.
If the people who regularly make this all-too-easy conclusion were truly honest, they’ll admit that they are merely justifying their own political leanings. Or simply hoping that the admirable qualities of the parents could somehow—despite a ton of evidence to the contrary—be transferred to their offspring.
Indeed, even the Aquino camp has already moved on from the Ninoy-Cory link that they constantly bombarded people with at the beginning of the campaign, perhaps after seeing how this strategy has only made Noynoy steadily lose ground to his less pedigreed rivals. After all, if Noynoy did somehow inherit his forebears’ good qualities (and only the good ones, mind you), what does that make Gibo Teodoro, who comes from the same family, after all?
