Gordon assails ‘frailocracy’

By Dino Balabo, Central Luzon Bureau
The Manila Times

BULACAN: Sen. Richard Gordon said on Tuesday that the century-old practice of established corrupt Spanish friars still dominates the government service today as evidenced by its transactional leaders and their patronage politics.

Speaking before hundreds of participants to the 155th birthday celebration of the Bulakenyo hero Marcelo H. del Pilar here, Gordon stressed that the country needs transformational leaders like del Pilar, the great propagandist who used the famous pen name “Plaridel.”

“The ways of friars are still entrenched today,” Gordon said owing to transactional leaders that reduce the capabilities of the Filipinos.

He said that transformational leaders are men who lead their people with visions, values and provide direction to their people like the US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

“Unlike transformational leaders that inspires people to action, transactional leaders rely on the old practice of padrino system,” Gordon said. Padrino refers to patronage politics.

He said that as a journalist, del Pilar inspired his countrymen to action because with their realization of their duty to their country and their dignity as Filipinos.

Local officials who attended the celebrations hailed Gordon’s statements, noting that it is what the country needs today.

Mayor Ambrosio Cruz of Guiguinto, the president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines Bulacan chapter, said the people needs transformational leaders that will lead them out of poverty.

“That’s what we are doing now through our ‘Ang Mayor at Ikaw’ people’s forum,” Cruz said. He is credited in transforming the sleepy town of Guiguinto into a news industrial center in the province.

Meanwhile Mayor Ricardo Meneses of this town called on local journalist to follow the virtues of Plaridel.

“Follow Plaridel’s example of balanced reportage and developmental journalism,” Meneses said.
The celebration was organized by the municipal government of Bulacan town through the coordination of the National Historical Institute.

It started with an early morning parade that was joined by 80 organizations that drew thousands of participants including students.

Sadly, only some 200 attended the celebration and listened to passionate speeches of the guest speakers.