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A twist on the more familiar "for the fun of it," it points to one of the main reasons - other than megalomania - why so many seem to want to run for Philippine electoral posts, even for national posts. It's an income-generating project.
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<p>
This column of course was not inspired by the announcement the other day by Senators Panfilo Lacson and Vicente Sotto III of their "firm" decision to run for president and vice president, respectively, in the elections next year.
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<p>
The phrase describes the strange phenomenon in Philippine elections in which candidates, except for the very rich, end up richer after an election, whether they win or lose. It happens in the following way.
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<p>
Politicians and government officials in the course of their careers develop friends - okay, let's call a spade a spade, "clients" - among businessmen and the rich, which they help one way or another because of their political clout or even control over some government office.
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Friendship
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Not a few of our wealthy outrightly give politicians and government officials money, not as bribes for some contracts but to ensure their "friendship" - which in the future would mean their "protection" or intervention in some deal with a government agency, but only when needed. "For your projects, Mr. Congressman," they'd say with a broad grin as they hand over to the politician's aide what almost always is cash in a gift-wrapped box or Manila folder. Politicians never accept checks, you see.
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The Chinese Filipino businessmen are so much into this practice, looking at it as a necessary business expense. This is due to the fact that they have been for many decades the most vulnerable targets of corrupt government officials, not just for the common Bureau of Internal Revenue audits but even for such mundane city hall requirements as sanitation permits. One smart way of evading such continuous harassment is to be known as being close to a known political figure whose help they would seek when they're being harassed by government bureaucrats.
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Some national politicians are smarter in that they even refuse cash, but later on ask for business deals, such as a supply contract for a tycoon's conglomerate. Many politicians' sons, daughters or brothers become great entrepreneurs indeed.
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Electoral contests provide politicians - who are of course so egoistic they care about integrity - a "decent" way to squeeze huge funds from their usual "friends," and even from their friends' friends - and potential "friends": "I want to serve my country more, I can do it by running for this office, but I need funds."
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<h3>
Tax-free
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<p>
This income of course is tax-free, and there is no way for the government taxman to determine how much candidates have really received as campaign donations.
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It's a windfall if for some reason the politician appears to be ahead in race, whether he wins or not, which is one reason that smarter tycoons contract pollsters to track who's ahead. In such cases, the funds seem to materialize, or as one political operator described it to me, "the cash came in in boxes."
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Strange phenomenon in Philippine elections: Win or lose, candidates end up richer after an election