Just this morning, I attended the round table discussion on the political party development act in Rockwell-Ateneo. Sa mga dai nakakaaram, digdi sa Pilipinas an pulitika inaapod na personality-based. Gustong sabihon, gabos na desisyon sa pagpili kan kandidato nakadepende sa personalidad kan kandidato bako sa saiyang partido (arog sa United States) o kaya sa plataporma na dinadara niya (arog sa Europa). This system makes it hard to exact accountability among the candidates kung kaya palpak an pangogobyerno digdi sa nasyon ta. To correct this malaise, political scientists and civil society groups are pushing for a strong political party system the first step of which includes the passage of political party development law.
But is this feasible?

In the Bicol region, it appears feasible. First, we were able to push for Bicol Saro, a regional political party which was able to withstood some tests of time. It bowed down, however, to the problematic party list system law kaya maski sarong representante, wara ining nasungkit. Even then, nagpapatunay lang na an mga Bikolano dai man mababayaan pag-abot sa political party organizing. Mala ta puwede man digdi idagdag an pag-organizar kan mga Imperial, Espinosa atbp. kan Independent Nationalist Alliance immediately the few years of the post-Marcos period.

Pero apuwera sa mga nabanggit, mapapatunayan na political-party-oriented talaga an mga Bikolano An pinakasimpleng ehemplo digdi iyo an pag-organizar kn political machinery base sa politica party na ever since, an mga Imperial kan Albay an nagpoon. The political machine being utilized by the Imperials is a pure Nacionalista Party-based machine and this started ever since Carlos A. Imperial, the uncle and namesake of Papay, ran for office in 1907. Nabago lang an pagiging solid nationalista kan mga imperial asin man kn makinarya matapos akoon ni Papay an membership sa Kilusang Bagong Lipunan ni Marcos. And, because of political survival, Papay also jumped to Lakas-NUCD and then to KAMPI.

Kaya lang, an makangalas, matapos na magbalyo ki political party affiliation si Papay, nagluya na man an amor kaini. Papay, running under the Laks-Kampi ticket, lostthe congressional seat to his closest rival, Al Bichara who won under the Nationalista Party — the reincarnate of the political party that Papay once left.

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