return of the former

Pakistan and the Philippines, at first glance, has really nothing in common. Aside from the fact that both countries are tied together in an alphabetical list of countries of the world, nothing else would bind the 2 nations in any aspect. In fact, some Pakistanis may not have any idea there is such as the Philippines and some Filipinos might also have no information there is a Pakistan.

But what many people failed to see is that both countries are in a way experiencing identical political situations at the moment. This is somethink no one would think will be happenning in two countries so far apart.

Pakistan gained independence from the British in 1947 and from then had series of political instability. The Philippines, on the other hand, won their freedom from the Spaniards in 1898.. but was shortlived as they were again under foreign rule- under the United States.

In 1972, civilian rule was returned to Pakistan, but it was also in that year that martial rule was imposed in the Philippines. In the 1980's, the Philippines elected into power its first female president- Cory Aquino. In the same period, Pakistan voted their first female prime minister- Benazir Bhutto. Aquino is the wife of slained Senator Ninoy Aquino, while Bhutto is the daughter of slained former Pakistan President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

In recent times, Pakistan and the Philippines also experienced massive protests and political crisis. In 2001, Pervez Musharraf, who ousted elected Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, declared himself president. On that same year, Gloria Arroyo ousted elected Philippine President Joseph Estrada and was declared the new president. Both received praises from the world for being beacons of democracy.

But now the tides are against the 2 leaders. Both Arroyo and Musharraf seek re-election and won... allegedly. People in this countries protested against their leader's re-election bid. These 2 heads of state have also undergone various controversies and issues. Both are link to human rights violations. Musharraf arrested dissidents and once closed media networks. Arroyo, on the other hand, is linked to political killings, bribery and corruption.

Both Musharraf and Arroyo's parties won only a few seats in the recent elections. Musharraf's party was only 3rd place in Parliament, while Arroyo's party got only a few seats in the Senate. A sign that means both leaders are losing their touch on the people who helped place them into power.

Protests continue to mount in the 2 countries against the administration. Ousted Nawaz Sharif is calling to impeach Musharraf, while ousted Estrada is calling for Arroyo's resignation. The 2 former leaders are now the ones who is fighting the governemnt. These 2 leaders returned to the scene. They were ousted before, but are still loved by people. How irony unfolds in the world. Those who ousted leaders are now the ones being asked to step down.

No one knows yet how this will end or how the political similarities in both countries will stay the same. But one thing can be seen, the world of politics is just a game. Sometimes one is up, sometimes one is down. Politics should be a tool for growth and development of a nation, but sadly it has become a hindrance. The Pakistan-Philippine module is just an example of how the game of politics revolves. Many other countries might have similar situations too. In politics, the greed for power plays a role in every country, compromising the life of its citizens.