THIS IS IN REACTION to Amando Doronila’s article titled “Escudero without a political party and the myth of Icarus” (Inquirer, 11/2/09). Doronila criticized Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s recent move to bolt the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and eschew party politics for a radical approach of running an election campaign as signs of “political immaturity and naïveté.” And he predicted that it would lead to “political self-destruction.”

With due respect, I believe that Doronila’s article smacks of elitism and an unhealthy refusal to consider new and unorthodox ideas. The article’s main points are clearly based on a presumption that only candidates supported by the oligarchs of the mainstream political parties with resources and patronage-centered organizations can seriously vie for the highest office in the land. It dismisses the possibility that a genuine people’s campaign, unfettered by the dictates of the few, may actually work.

Doronila pointed out that Senator Escudero has 1) “defied established conventions,” 2) “defied the rules of gravity of politics” and c) “unveiled an unorthodox political philosophy.” Personally, I don’t see why these actions would be deemed as negatives instead of positives. It is true that in this country those who have won the presidency all came from established political parties and have all used tried and tested formulas. Yet what has our country got to show for after all these decades of so-called “standard” and “orthodox” presidents. The myth of Icarus has long been used to put down pioneers and trailblazers, but “Icarus” is in fact a cautionary tale that was never meant to discourage the dreamers and those who would dare.

Senator Escudero has indeed done the unthinkable in Philippine politics. He has risked his political career and reputation for what he believes in. Rather than ridiculing him or, worse, criticizing him for his courage, he should be praised for traveling the road where no politician has gone before. Why dismiss or put down the good senator and all of us for daring to dream? Why drag us all down in the well of cynicism and hopelessness? Senator Escudero may have none of the established factors of an orthodox presidential candidate, but he has dared to flout conventional wisdom and, perhaps, if enough of us join him in this quest... well, as Conrado de Quiros said in his article, “you never know, these elections have been full of surprises.”

—ATTY. GILBERT LAUENGCO, gilbertlauengco@yahoo.com