Basically, empowerment is one thing that we always wanted to have in our community and government. Empowerment help make solidify our advocacies like human rights, social equality, freedom and democracy.
It also helps develop our personal character to be responsible, tolerant, committed, and patriotic and law abiding citizens of our country. This positive side of empowerment can be achieved only if it will serve its purpose to benefit the majority of the masses which stand to be protected by it.
On the other hand, empowerment has its own negative side. In political exercise like elections, empowerment can be destructive. Here, we can say that empowerment is malapropos. Why, because gullible voters are easily swayed in empowering personalities in showbiz, traditional politicians, land lords, drug lords, war lords, oligarchs, the elite class who still practice servitude or modern day slavery and old political clans. All of them are inept, selfish, repressive, immoral and corrupt.
The wrong empowerment of these personalities is what makes the Philippines remains poor despite of 110 years of independence from foreign domination. Elections have come and go, but progress remains to be seen. Two years from now, the nation will be seeing another election drama. Early posturing for higher office has just begun, all are aiming empowerment.
A benchwarmer Senator-Actor who have done nothing in his 8 years in the Senate and a governor actress, who is equally inept, are vying for the second highest position in the land, the vice presidency. The Philippines is heading to the dustbin of history if the gullible and star-struck voters will elect either of the two showbiz personalities, not to mention the same old politicos who have ruled the country in trepidation.
One thing for sure, wrong empowerment is likely to be repeated again in 2010. The same old faces of characters will dominate the government. Complete change is not possible not unless the people vote wisely and conscientiously. Politics and showbiz mix together which attracts voters to empower undesirable personalities to hold office in government: Only in the Philippines.