The oldest political group in the Ateneo student political scene is set to undergo a major change in party structure.
As an effort to solve problems within the party, plans to restructure Partido IsaBuhay IsaGawa (IBIG) – Agila, a product of the merger between Partido Agila and IBIG in December 2007, have been in the works.
According to credible sources who have requested anonymity, there is internal dissatisfaction with regard to the party’s lack of a central ideology and identity.
In its first few years, Partido Agila advocated for social democracy—an ideology now shared by the relatively young political group Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement (Crusada).
The alleged disconnect of Partido Agila with its original principles are prompting negative reactions from some of its party members.
“Yes, there are some people who think that the ideology of IBIG-Agila is not applicable anymore, and that’s where the root of the restructuring will come from,” said Sanggunian Vice President and IBIG-Agila Chairman Gio Alejo.
“We have met a couple of times and we have realized that there are some things that need to be fixed inside the party. So if there is word that the party will get disbanded or that the party has divided, that’s not true,” he said. “What is true is, there are really some things [that] we pinpointed, and we saw… [that] we need to have [these things] fixed and… changed.”
Asked whether the party ever thought of disbanding, Sanggunian Finance Officer and IBIG-Agila member Steph Gumaru said, “I’ll be a hypocrite if I say no. [What we talked about is that] it can be an option, but we opt not to put it as part of our options.”
“I don’t want to speak too soon, but currently it’s not something that Agila will do,” Gumaru continued.
“Pumasok siya sa isip namin pero mahal pa namin ‘yung political party namin [kaya] may pag-asa pa ito.”
Identity issues
Although from a party that is claiming to be the original social democrats, Gumaru said that Crusada is now advocating the same ideology and that the fledgling party is “very good at it.”
She added that IBIG-Agila has not been as vocal as it was before, when it still released statements on socio-political issues.
“What we’re trying to do is to clarify the ideology of the party, [and] make it more relevant to us, so that even if it’s not elections, we’ll also be active,” Alejo said.
Alejo added that there has been a disconnect between the party’s principles and how the party members are trying to embody these principles.
“Not all members are able to really see what the party’s principles are and to embody [these principles] in their positions either in the party or in the Sanggu,” he said.
Alejo continued, “The clamor really is for politicization in the school. And I think restructuring the party is one way of helping this kind of politicization.”
Running on a new engine
To make IBIG-Agila more relevant to its members and to the student body, members AJ Elicaño, Dan Remo and Alejo are the main proponents of the plan to restructure the party.
Alejo believes that once the party finds its common ground, it can work on a new framework. “Why do we have a party, anyway? You fight for a common ideology… and if the goal that the party imposes on you does not fit you as a leader or candidate, then there’s no sense in staying.”
He added that IBIG-Agila is considering a shift to social liberalism as one of its options for a new ideology.
Gumaru, however, thinks that the party’s original ideology only needs some refinement. “We’re not looking into eradicating it [completely since] we started there. I don’t see the party veering away from social democracy. Maybe [we’ll] add student empowerment into it,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
As of press time, the restructuring is still in an evaluative phase. Since all possible steps are still being considered, a formal consultation within the party has not yet been made.
Alejo believes that once IBIG-Agila has a clear ideology in place, the party would be more cohesive. “It’s different when the spirit of the party comes from the members themselves. When that happens, you would always want to be involved because that’s what you believe in, that’s what you are fighting for,” he said in Filipino.
To pursue the restructuring, Alejo said that IBIG-Agila will tap its resources and strong alumni base.
Mixed reactions
For the Alliance of Student Leaders (ASL) chairperson Alvin Yllana, IBIG-Agila’s restructuring is a daring risk. “They wouldn’t do this if they think everything is alright,” he said. “This new image might just be what the students are looking for. On the other hand, it might be not.”
Crusada Party Premier Miguel Rivera emphasized the need for concrete restructuring plans. “One cannot simply wake up and say ‘I’m a liberal democrat.’ Identities need to be constantly enunciated, negotiated, created, refined, practiced,” he said. “As a party, we reiterate our hope that IBIG-Agila will be able to come out of the petty personalistic and paternalistic politics we have come to know them for.”
