Last week I discussed very basic lessons that the recent elections has left for everyone. This time let’s look at more of these lessons hoping we can find the ones that must be heeded if we have to move forward as a mature civilized society. I’m looking at the toothless laws that our legislature has passed like the Fair Elections Act. We thought this was one law that would improve and bring a notch higher our conduct of elections in this country. After all we have held elections since America granted us independence in 1946. The experience, however, only taught us lessons on how politicians can win elections but not on how a nation can be built to stand on its own. Almost a century later after that independence, we are still a nation struggling not to be left behind by our neighbors. We are still a people who pass laws we don’t intend to implement. We are still a people who feel good whenever we can cheat or violate laws as if we have remained the vassals of Spain. The more than 300 years under Spain have made us permanent cheaters of laws.

Let’s go back to the Fair Elections Act. About a third of the law tells us what we cannot do during election. Candidates cannot buy votes; the electorate cannot sell their votes; no posters can be displayed outside of the designated area; no candidates can monopolize broadcast time nor buy all the pages of a newspaper to advertize his or her candidacy; and what have you. All of these have been violated almost every election and particularly during the last election. But has there been anybody charged in court for violation of election law? I haven’t heard one. Every voter knows money circulated to get votes, but is anyone complaining? Only the losers are sore about it. Is it a problem of enforcement? It is all because it is a problem of unlimited tolerance by both the law enforcers and the people who are supposed to observe the law. Our election law has all the teeth it needs but the enforcers don’t have the will to make those teeth bite. And for that our country has remained a basket case of Asia. So what lesson can we adduce from the recent election experience? Don’t pass laws that you cannot enforce.

Then there is that provision in our Constitution against political dynasty that never had an enabling law because those who would be affected are the law makers themselves. The result of the last election only confirmed that as a motherhood statement or provision in the Constitution that never grew one single tooth to implement it. To the people Political Dynasty is a matter of their choice. They can abolish or preserve it the way they did in the last election where some political dynasties have fallen and new ones have emerged. The Jalosjoses of Zamboanga, the Villafuertes of Camarines and the Garcias of Cebu are just a few examples of dynasties that have been reduced to the barest. There are also those who have remained strong despite seeming hatred and apathy by people for what they have done and the vocal campaign against the practice. The Marcoses still lord it in the North. The Duranos of Cebu are still around. The Binays are growing stronger. The Ampatuans are the surprise of all. Despite the Maguindanao massacre they have remained in control of their own turf in Maguindanao. On the local front the Chattos are unshakable, the Relampagoses and Lopezes have added new members to the dynasty, the Imboys have remained steadfast in Loay, the Jumamoys have remained strong, while the Lims suffered a falling out. The Cajeses were trying to establish one but managed to win only in the mayoralty race. There are still others that slip my memory. The Aumentados? Well there has never been an Aumentado dynasty from the beginning although there has always been one Aumentado in high position since 1976. Lesson: In a democracy, the people decide all issues. That includes political dynasty.