Samira ‘Ate Sam’ Gutoc Attempts To Break The Philippine Electoral Culture
Written By Miguel Lorenz Parawan
Whereas the tendency to stick with the habit of voting for long-established political dynasties and famous individuals is still etched on the walls of Philippine politics, aspiring senatorial candidate Samira ‘Ate Sam’ Gutoc-Tomawis is attempting to prove that public trust should stem from one’s political contributions, not by family reputation.
To give a brief background, Samira Gutoc failed in her senatorial bid under the Otso Diretso coalition in 2019. To lose a candidacy where you poured in time, money and effort would be like a slap to your face. A loss is a loss, after all.
Ate Sam, however, never succumbed to that feeling. Rather, she is even more determined to fight for the causes she’s championing, dedicating her time to push for representation on Muslims in the coming May 2022 Senate elections. In an interview with ABS-CBN news correspondent Kat Domingo on September 2021, it can be recalled that the aspiring senator even sought Muslim religious leaders (Ulamas علماء) on her plight to another senatorial bid.
She seems to never back down from any fight.
But what makes Ate Sam the fighter that she is today?
Growing Up To Be A Leader
Gutoc gets interviewed by Bet To Serve (IBC-13)’s Catherine Vilar.
In an interview with Fascinating Features, Gutoc revealed that she was privileged enough to be born from parents who evolved from poverty. Having the opportunity to further education, she heeds a call of service where she took her first step in politics.
“Although I like Madonna, I don’t have a Cinderella story [where] I just evolved from poverty. Of course, I had parents na pinaeduka ako sa [who enrolled me at] Saudi [Arabia]. I had parents who were poor and they also had poor grandparents. I know that every peso counts and I value every moment and experience that they taught me being in a foreign land of foreigners. And so, I devote my life to learn, to be humble enough to listen, to be a leader and follower,” she shared.
Explaining her family’s background in the past, she wishes to make a difference in people’s lives. Gutoc’s experiences made her want to be a leader who listens rather than a leader who mandates.
When asked why, she explained that “a listener can get to be a good adviser because she knows what’s the problem.”
This is where and when the famous quote, “a great leader is a great follower,” comes into play.
“I became an activist, became a writer, became a legislator, became a public servant, a peace advocate, and later a hostage negotiator [in a way]. And I think I’m placed in a situation where I contributed as a youth, [and] as a young leader to be a voice of reason — bridging, caring, and [giving] compassion in these circumstances of many non-caring and hate around us,” she explained.
Her settling down between two polarizing religious cultures of Muslim and Christianity seemed to contribute to her warrior-like personality — imagine growing up in a Muslim country only to go back to a predominantly Catholic home nation where Muslims are a minority. For Samira, she went out of her comfort zone just to be of service to her fellowmen as she pushes for Muslim representation in the national setting.
When asked which country she prefers staying in besides the Philippines, Gutoc revealed that she wants to stay in Saudi Arabia, another homeland that holds a special place in her heart since that is where her memories as a kid are still vivid and clear.
“Saudi Arabia, because again, plastikan not plastikan [not going to lie], I’m near to the Holy Place namin of prayer which is Mecca: [it’s where] he Black Stone [is].”
Platforms And Stances
On Political Labeling and Dichotomies
Gutoc believes associating a political party to a certain colour is “very unintelligent and simple-minded.”
Political labelling and colour association are not new in Philippine politics. It first sprung after the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, where the masses expressed their support to end Marcos’ dictatorial regime with the symbolic yellow ribbon, which was supposed to represent democracy. Since then, political parties try to associate their line-ups with a colour that they think would best represent their cause.
In the context of dichotomy, Gutoc has not been convinced that the division of factions is sufficient enough to gather many votes; she thinks It is not complex enough to educate voters, especially the youth, who are half of the 60 million [registered] voters.
To her, political labelling and dichotomies might capture voters’ attention momentarily, but “it’s not the necessary way to really put it through,” she said. Gutoc suggests that having informed discussions and attending debates will allow voters to gauge how fit a candidate is for the Senate.
On Healthcare Reform
“If there’s an ‘Education For All (EFA)’ principle, there [should] also be a ‘health for all’ system,” Gutoc said.
Gutoc takes a selfie with supporters at a sortie in Sta. Ines, Cabiao, Nueva Ecija.
Beyond the realm of modern medicine, the senatorial aspirant also looks at its traditional and alternative counterparts. Not only would she recognize doctors and nurses as frontliners, but she also wishes to integrate family and traditional healers as part of the healthcare force.
“I also look at the family and traditional healers as frontliners because I’m a katutubo [an indigenous person] and I’m an evacuation leader. Healers have certain indigenous, native knowledge na pwedeng magamit po ng ating systema ng [that can be used with the current system of] healthcare. They are closer to the people, [and] they are more trusted by the masses,” she explained.
Taking into consideration culture, medical access and financial capacity, she plans to author a bill that would provide the country with a traditional, culture-sensitive, family-based healthcare system with an emphasis on universal healthcare education.
On Federalism and Charter Change
Giving heavy emphasis on representation, she nudges future leaders to take into consideration federalization, charter change and economic provisions, stating it as among the agenda that is “already [time] to look at.”
“[It’s] long due, long [demanded], long-studied research by the provinces that are very passionate about federalization of services, identity, cultures and their ways of life to be part of governance,” Gutoc shared when asked about federalism.
Gutoc argued that introducing federalism would mean equal representation among regions, and she envisions a federal government that facilitates a friendly competition between regions and provinces that would ramp up economic activity.
She then highlighted the lack of representation for the people of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (formerly the ARMM) in the Senate. For the past 30 years, not a single representative from the region (in both its current and previous iterations) got a seat in the Senate.
“For example, there may be federalization or representation of senators per region so that every province — [like the] Bangsamoro, which has had zero representation for 30 years in the Senate— can have representation,” Gutoc explained.
On Divorce
Although she is in favour of the matter, Samira emphasized that divorce should be enacted, but only made as to the “least of the options for any family in very exceptional circumstances of abuse, of torture, [the] long absence of the partner, and any valid justification” that would sever the relationships within families.
Historically, the Philippines allowed divorce during the pre-Spanish, American, and Japanese colonial eras. Since the country gained independence, however, a law on absolute divorce has not been enacted primarily due to the country’s Christian beliefs and values which reject its passage.
Gutoc emphasized that “the family is the major unit of our society,” and part of protecting the welfare of partners or children who have been held victims by abusive relationships is to grant the couple a complete legal dissolution of marriage.
“The primary interest of children is always at stake, but if it is for the protection of the children and the wife, why not divorce?” she said.
Currently, out of every country in the world, only the Philippines and the Vatican prohibit divorce.
On the Philippine War on Drugs
“I have been mislabeled, misinterpreted. I did not say that the drug war and the extrajudicial killings are correct. I just said that the drug war is a war by all – especially by the youth,” Gutoc clarified after a misunderstanding on her stance on the matter at ANC News last October 5, 2021.
She stands by adhering to the ethical process when it comes to the war on drugs. She also knocks back the idea of punishing the youth by incarceration, which includes the specific targetting minors guised as collateral damage and the lowering of the criminal liability.
She detests children's involvement in such cruel punishment and said to avoid “mixing them up with adults.” Gutoc stressed the importance of rightfully using the pillars of justice (prosecution, intel fund surveillance, proper investigation) to punish the police and the syndicates involved in extrajudicial killings.
On Vote-Buying
To Gutoc, “vote-buying is to be condemned at the highest level.” The act, she said, insults the democratic institution of one-person-one-vote. She furthered that vote-buying attracts corruption as the act refunds itself given that “candidates are only paid a little, but spent so much during elections.”
“This should be guarded by the youth, watchdogs, and volunteers as early as the COMELEC [Commission on Elections can do,” she added.
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Images from Samira Gutoc’s Facebook Page
