tele. A rising star in Indonesia may have a number of lifelong clients who cannot be denied. (Pye, p. 772)In contrast to the rigid rules of Indonesia, Filipino bapakism ties are looser and less durable. To be a batak or patron in the Philippines is a less onerous position. In Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, which is a Malay language, like that of Indonesia, the word batak means "to pull." Binatak na ako means "he pulled me" or "influenced me." The words anak buah in Tagalog translates as "demented child" and bapak is translated in the Spanish as patrino or just Godfather. The former translation is meaningless to batakism; the latter has a contrasting meaning to the Indonesian. A Godfather has status and can influence but he expects more form the client in return.In the Philippines, unlike Indonesia, a child may have several families of aunts, uncles or godparents. In Indonesia power is status. In the Philippines, power, or lakas, means strength or power, and power means privilege not obligation, free from regulation and almost above the law. These relationships in the Philippines are fluid and freewheeling and the networks that assume are stable in Indonesia, can form and disband in the Philippines as people move to new patrons. (Pye, p.773)When I lived in the Philippines as a Peace Corps teacher trainer people wanting favors would latch onto me because I might have power to get them what they wanted, not because I had much status. But if I was unable to help them find a Western husband for their daughter or unable to garner them American visas they would leave me in a heartbeat to seek out a patron who might be better able to help. I did not rely on them nor they on me.In Indonesia, President Suharto must serve as a patron to his children and others who have been able to grab hold of his coattails. His children would, as the presidents child, have to act as patrons to their clients. It is like a reverse pyramid schem...
