Since the 1960's, the star fruit -- or "balimbing" -- has become the mark of a political turncoat. However, political turncoatism has been around since the Revolution of 1896 when switching allegiance was not uncommon among the followers of Katipunan "Supremo" Andres Bonifacio and his rival Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Bonifacio was the leader of the Magdalo faction of the Katipunan which he founded and Aguinaldo was the leader of the Magdiwang faction, a splinter group of the Katipunan.
The balimbing's cross section is shaped like a five-sided star; hence, a person who changes political loyalty is called a "balimbing." Today, political turncoatism has become as common as the common cold. So be careful when politicians sneeze -- it's contagious.
After the Philippines gained its independence from the United States on July 4, 1946, Manuel Roxas -- the leader of the "Liberal" wing of the Nacionalista Party -- broke away and founded the Liberal Party. He ran for President against his erstwhile ally Sergio Osmena, Sr. -- founder of the Nacionalista Party -- and won. When Roxas died in 1948, he was succeeded by Vice President Elpidio Quirino, also a Nacionalista-turned-Liberal. Quirino then appointed Ramon Magsaysay as Secretary of Defense. Magsaysay broke the back of the Hukbalahap insurgency and became popular with the people. However, he resigned due to a dispute with Quirino. In 1953, he left the Liberal Party to join the Nacionalista Party. He became the Nationalistas' presidential candidate and defeated his former boss.
In 1965, when President Diosdado Macapagal ran for re-election, Senator Ferdinand Marcos, his rival within the Liberal Party, left the party and joined the Nacionalista Party. Marcos became the Nacionalistas' presidential candidate and beat Macapagal. Marcos' victory triggered a mass exodus of Liberal balimbings to the fold of the Nationalista Party. When Marcos ran for re-election in 1969, he was challenged by Senator Sergio Osmena, Jr. who bolted the party founded by his father to become the Liberal Party's presidential candidate. Marcos easily defeated Osmena. Before his four-year term ended, he declared martial law and stayed in power until he was overthrown in the People Power Revolution of 1986.
Gone were the days of the US-style two-party system. The Marcos dictatorship had put an end to that. He instituted a rubber-stamp legislature with token opposition. Virtually all politicians turned coats and joined his Kilusan ng Bagong Lipunan (New Society Movement). With the passage of the post-Marcos era 1987 constitution, political parties sprouted like kangkong (water spinach). Anybody who wanted to run for office then could form his or her own political party. Political affiliation became nothing more than a label on their shirts which they could change anytime to conveniently suit their political agenda.
In the first congressional elections held under the 1987 constitution, there were 1,899 candidates from 79 separate political parties who vied for 200 House seats. There were also 84 candidates who ran for the 24 Senate seats. Virtually all the candidates who were supported by then President Corazon Aquino won. In the local elections held the following year there were 150,000 candidates -- many of whom joined Aquino for self-preservation -- who ran for 16,000 positions from provincial governor down to town council member.
In the first post-Aquino presidential elections in 1992, there were seven presidential candidates. Retired General Fidel V. Ramos ran under the newly formed Lakas ng Tao-National Union of Christian Democrats (Lakas-NUCD), a union of Ramos' Partido Lakas ng Tao (People Power Party) and Raul Manglapus' NUCD. Ramos won the presidency but his vice presidential running mate, Emilio Osmena, lost to Joseph Estrada.
In 1994, Lakas-NUCD formed a coalition government with the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) in preparation for the 1995 congressional elections. As expected, the coalition -- Lakas-Laban -- captured the majority in both Houses of Congress.
In the 1998 presidential elections, there were 10 presidential candidates. Joseph Estrada formed his own party, Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino. Meanwhile, then Senator Gloria Macapagal Arroyo defected from LDP and formed Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) which she planned to use as her vehicle to propel her to the presidency. However, it never took off the ground and she decided to mothball KAMPI and accept an offer to become Jose de Venecia, Jr.'s vice presidential running mate under the newly formed tripartite coalition Lakas ng EDSA - National Union of Christian Democrats-Union of Muslim Democrats in the Philippines (Lakas-NUCD-UMDP). It was a good move for Arroyo because Estrada was formidable. As expected, Estrada captured the presidency in a landslide and Arroyo clobbered eight vice presidential candidates with almost 50% of the vote. Thus, the stage was set for an Estrada-Arroyo confrontation which ended with the "constructive resignation" of Estrada in January 2001. Estrada's departure catapulted Arroyo to the presidency.
Prior to the 2004 elections, the Lakas-NUCD-UMDP was changed to Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD). But in an unexpected move, Arroyo resuscitated the moribund KAMPI and ran for President under the banner of Lakas-KAMPI Coalition. Arroyo beat the popular actor Fernando Poe, Jr. in a field of five candidates. However, her victory was marred by the controversial "Hello Garci" election cheating scandal, an issue that never ceased to hound her.
With the 2010 presidential elections just around the corner, the race for President has already started in earnest. Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay indicated that he is interested and declared, "I have what it takes to be President." Meanwhile, Senator Richard Gordon issued a statement denying that he is running for President. He did say, however, that "if and when I run for President, I will look not to the past but to the future." My take is: "when" is more likely than "if." Other "presidentiables" being bandied about were Senators Manny Villar, Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson, Mar Roxas and -- guess who? -- Joseph Estrada.
As President Arroyo comes closer to the end of her tumultuous term, her political influence has began to diminish. And like chameleons, her supporters' political colors would soon change to blend with those who are perceived to be running strong in the presidential derby. New political parties and coalitions would once again sprout like kangkong. Some would wither right away and some would struggle to survive. Yes, it's balimbing season again.
(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)