Anti-Epal Intensifies Campaign Through Change Family Political Dynasty #phpoliticaldynasty

Aimed at educating the public on the problems of Philippine politics, the Anti-Epal campaign created a fictional political dynasty led by Rep. Juana Change and the Epaliticians Party List, hailing from the province of Nueva Change Occidental Sur. The Change Family believes in “political destiny, not dynasty.”

“Mula pa noong panahon ng himagsikan laban sa mga Kastila, hanggang sa paglaban sa mga Hapon, sa pagtutol sa Batas Militar at hanggang sa paglaban kay Little Lady, tatak CHANGE ang kilala. Ito ang legacy ng CHANGE. Gusto nyo ba ng reporma? Eh di CHANGE nalang tayo ulit!,” Rep. Juana Change said.

“Sigaw daw ng iba, ‘Wala na bang iba?’ Wala syempre! ‘Yan ang demokrasyang tatak Pinoy!,” Rep. Juana Change added.

Other members of the Change Family includes Don Juan Change III, Juan Change IV, Yoko Change, Pansy ‘Bida’ Change, Tita Sen Change, Datung Change, Lola Change, and Lolo Change.

“Epalism is only a symptom of deeper problems in Philippine politics, which each character in the Change Family personifies. The characters reflect real politicians and their campaigns and the public has seen these parallelisms. The Change Family is an exaggeration of what is happening in Philippine politics, so a lot of times people are entertained. But more than entertainment, we want them to see that these are real problems we are facing as a nation,” Ayeen Karunungan, spokesperson of Dakila, an organization part of the No More Epal Movement, said.

The Change Family filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) last October 1, the first day of filing of COC’s at the Commission on Elections. The campaign is a new phase of the Anti-Epal campaign and is organized by the No More Epal Movement, composed of Dakila, People Power Institute, Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking and individuals such as Vince Lazatin, Executive Director of Transparency and Accountability Network, Mae Paner, Betty Romero, Gabriel Mercado, and Atty. Eirene Aguila

 

The CHANGE Family

“The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same”

 

Nueva Change Occidental Sur (NCOS)

Check Wikipedia of NCOS

The province of Nueva Change Occidental Sur was split into two congressional districts to accommodate the political ambitions of the son of Don Juan Change III and Juana Change, Don Juan Change IV.  Although not qualified as a stand-alone congressional district, District 2 of Nueva Change Occidental Sur (with a voting population of only 75,000) was created by a law that was sponsored by Don Juan Change III, and co-sponsored by Juana Change.  The creation of District 2 survived a legal challenge when the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Tirso Change ruled that the creation of congressional districts is the sole prerogative of the legislature, and who best to determine the need for new districts, but the congressmen themselves.  CJ Tirso Change, the first cousin of Don Juan Change III, was two-time governor of Nueva Change Occidental Sur before being named as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

JUANA CHANGE:
CONGRESSWOMAN, Epaliticians Party List (“EPaL”)

See Juana Change on Facebook

Juana used to be the district congresswoman of Nueva Change Occidental Sur but when her 3rd term ended, she created the EPaL party list group so she could continue to serve in the House of Representatives. EPaL represents the maligned and marginalized epaliticians who have been at the center of the anti-epal movement sweeping the country.  She vows to author legislation that would legalize the practice of credit-grabbing by public officials. “How else will the voters know of our benevolence?” she once remarked.

She served her 3 terms after her husband, Don Juan Change III finished 3 terms as well.  Believes that there are good political dynasties and that theirs is destiny, not dynasty. Juana Change resents being told to remove her wang-wang from her SUVs because she has much important work to do and spends congressional recess in Paris, New York, Zurich, among other cities.

DON JUAN CHANGE III:
CONGRESSMAN, 1st District of Nueva Change Occidental Sur

Don Juan Change on FB
Don Juan Change, also known as DJ, is now the family patriarch. He is CEO of the CHANGE business conglomerate which interests span from mining, logging, manufacturing, lands, construction, manpower agencies and agriculture.

He is the husband of Juana Change and is running for Congressman of the 1st District, Nueva Change Occidental Sur. Don Juan wants to continue the legacy of his father, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather. Don Juan III believes that only the Change family knows what’s best for the province of Nueva Change Occidental Sur.

He sponsored the bill to carve out a new congressional district from NCOS, the newly formed Second District of Nueva Change Occidental, for his son, Don Juan IV.
JUAN CHANGE IV:
CONGRESSMAN, newly formed 2nd District of Nueva Change Occidental Sur

Be a fan of JC IV in FB

Popularly known as JC IV, he is the son of Juana and Don Juan III. He has learned the business of politics from his father. He has mastered the art of patronage politics. Not a spot of free space in Nueva Change Occidental Sur is safe from his numerous tarps, signs, announcements claiming credit for everything from vaccination programs, libreng tuli/libing/cell load/etc., footbridges, and road asphalting to the cool January weather and the soon to be proclaimed 8th wonder of the world, the NCOS buwaya, which has a voracious appetite and breeds only with relatives; it has a bullet proof, thick skin that is impenetrable to any kind of criticism.

JCIV is often seen passing out school bags (with his name and face embroidered on it) to schoolchildren, who many times, have to wait hours on end for the congressman to arrive, usually 3 or 4 hours late. He can also be seen performing circumcisions for his Libreng Tuli program, even if he isn’t a licensed medical practitioner.  His PR people make sure that all his activities are photographed and printed in the Nueva Change Occidental Sur organ, the Change Times.

JC is a part time model and commercial endorser. He is a sports enthusiast and a gym buff. He is often seen with his celebrity friends either partying or attending to social charities. His rumored girlfriend is actress Fart Evangelista. JC is often called the “Nueva Gwapo” as he is the most handsome guy in NCOS.
YOKO CHANGE
GOVERNOR, Nueva Change Occidental Sur

Yoko for Change FB

Yoko is the daughter of Juana and Don Juan III. She is running for her first term as governor of NCOS. She was going to run as Board Member of the Province but was pulled in last minute for the gubernatorial race to replace Lolong Change, when her niece, Munting Change (daughter of Pansy Bida Change) wisely asked, “Paano tatakbo si Lolong? Eh, patay na siya!”

Yoko is said to be the apple of Don Juan’s eyes. She was trained to be a leader since birth. The Change Family enrolled her in the finest schools and even sent her abroad at age 5 to undergo leadership camps with children of politicians. She served as SK Chairperson for 6 years, Student Council President from Prep to 4th year College, and won several leadership awards most notably the Youth Outstanding Winner of the Nation (YOWN) and the Women on Top Award.

Yoko is a youth role model. She has started several social entrepreneurship projects that help the youth of NCOS under her youth movement Yoko for Change (YFC). Yoko is also a social media sensation having many twitter followers. She contributes to a lot of publications as an expert on youth affairs and hosts a cool youth oriented show – YOK On Radio.

 

DADO FORTUNATO “DATUNG” CHANGE:
MAYOR, San Buwaya City, Capital of Nueva Change Occidental Sur

Datung FB Page

Datung Change is the nephew of Juana and Don Juan III. He is the only child of celebrity turned politician, Tita Sen Change.

Dado Forunato, also known as “Datung”, is the perennial mayor of San Buwaya City and has been mayor for eight terms, broken only by his placeholder grandfather, Juan Jr. “Lolong”, who ran the city from his urn (he’s been dead since 1986).  Mayor Datung also is the campaign manager for the Change family.

He is also responsible for raising money for everyone’s campaigns. He is rumored to be the local jueteng lord and has a private army. Allegedly, his business interests in San Buwaya City include smuggling, drug trafficking, gunrunning and money laundering.

Despite his tough stance, the masses of San Buwaya are affectionate of Datung as his “the end justifies the means” motto brings peace to San Buwaya.

TITA SEN CHANGE
SENATOR

Follow Tita Sen

Tita Sen is the sister of Don Juan III. She is an iconic movie star. She is well known as a comedienne and a TV personality. She tried to shun politics but after an overwhelming clamor from her family, the Change family, she gave in and parlayed her popularity as a TV personality and comedienne into a successful sentorial bid.  She is in her second term.

However, from time to time, Tita Sen finds it hard to refuse her showbiz life so she still dabbles in acting, hosting and commercial endorsements. Her Hot Pink movement – the name she calls her Fans Club, is with her everywhere she goes – from Charity projects to awards night. Tita Sen also has a penchant for social media like twitter and instagram, which leaves her vulnerable to criticism and malicious attacks. This is why one of her strongest advocacy is internet censorship.

She continues her work on TV and was recently accused of plagiarizing one of her episodes of “The Tita Sen Hour” from a Korean sitcom.  In her defense, she said, “Eh, paano sasabihin plagiarism yan? Ang show ko ay Tagalog, yung isa ay Koreano. Copying is the sincerest form of flattery. Chos!”.

PANSY “BIDA” CHANGE
VICE GOVERNOR

Pansy on FB

Pansy is the eldest daughter of Juan III and Juana. Pansy “Bida” has stayed away from politics, content to be the personal assistant to her mother, Juana; and a secretary to her father Don Juan. A college graduate, Pansy is the quietest among the Change siblings.  With the busy life her siblings live, Pansy attends to all their needs – taking care of the clothes of brother JC and seeing to it that Yoko’s hair and make up are done well.

At the last minute she was asked to file her certificate of candidacy as Vice Governor of NCOS, when Lola Change decided to run against Yoko for the governorship.

Pansy, criticized for her inexperience in public service – well for her lack of experience of in anything, shot back to her critics saying, “Who needs experience when you have the family name, ‘Change’? My experience as being my mom’s alalay had prepared me well for the role as Vice Governor.”
LOLA CHANGE
VICE GOVERNOR

Lola & Lolong Forever FB
Lola Change is the surviving spouse of Lolo Change. Lola Change was all set to run as Vice Governor and running-mate to her late husband, Juan Jr.  When the decision was made to field Yoko Change for the governorship instead of her husband, Lola decided to run against her, in the memory of her deceased husband, who is also her running-mate.

Lola Change hails from one of the elite haciendero family of NCOS. She speaks fluent Spanish, Latin, French and Italian. A devout religious, she is member of the exclusive “Order of Morals”. At the same time, she runs the vast family hacienda, which employs thousands of farm workers and manages the 10 ancestral houses of the family with the help of her 200 domestic workers which includes her loyal servants.

DON JUAN, JR. “LOLONG” CHANGE (Deceased):
VICE GOVERNOR


Don Juan is the Change Family Patriarch who died in 1986. Although dead for 27 years, has been filing his certificate of candidacy for every election since he died. Lolong filed his first certificate of candidacy at 14 with a fake birth certificate indicating he was 18 years old.  He died in 1986 after the People Power Revolution from a heart attack while in captivity.

Lolong, known for ruthlessly ordering the assassinations of his political opponents, was captured swimming inside the carcass of a crocodile in the Nueva Change Occidental Sur river trying to escape capture from law enforcement officials.  The crocodile carcass was certified by the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest crocodile carcass used for escape. He was wanted in connection to several killings of prominent political oppositionists. His remains are incarcerated at the NCOS Maximum Security Prison, serving out seven consecutive life terms, reclusion perpetua, for the murders.  From his urn in jail, Lolong is often used by his family members as a placeholder so they can run again after 3 consecutive terms.

Lolong was supposed to run as governor, but the decision was made by the family to bypass Lolong and field Yoko instead.  This decision was made when the 5 year old granddaughter of Don Juan III and Juana, Munting Change (daughter of Juan IV) pointed out, “Paano tatakbo si Lolong? Eh, patay na siya!”  After 20 minutes of stunned silence, Juana and Don Juan III decided that Yoko should run instead.

His campaign slogan is “Patay na patay makapagsilbi!”