trapo

n. a traditional politician believed to be corrupt. Subjects: Tagalog, Philippines, Politics, Derogatory

Etymological Note: < Tgl. ‘dirty rag, old rag’ < Span. ‘cleaning cloth.’

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Citations: 1990 Economist (U.K.) (June 16) “Philippines; At arm’s length” (in Manila) p. 37: In theory, at least, Mrs Aquino has declared her political debts either paid or cancelled: Kabisig can now provide a platform for cleaner forms of political ambition than those of the trapos. 1991 Henry F. Carey Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Mass.) (Aug. 19) “Aquino’s Challenge: Electoral Reform” p. 18: In the 1987 legislative elections, the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL)—which exposed President Ferdinand Marcos’s attempts to rig the 1986 elections—did not contest the election of many traditional politicians, derogatorily called trapos (Tagalog for “dirty rag”). 2004 Dean Jorge Bocobo Philippine Commentary (Philippines) (May 31) “Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil”: The very term “trapo” must have been invented because of Jose de Venecia. A trapo through and through even before trapo entered the lexicon, he was already a trapo in Ferdinand Marcos’s Batasang Pambansa, the martial law era “parliament.”

Posted 7 Jun 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

Additional etymological note:
Trapo is also a blend word or fusion, combining the first syllables of TRA-ditional PO-litician. In the beginning, Philippine journalists and “street parliamentarians” (that is, activists) used “tradpol” to refer to traditional politicians. At some point, someone must have noticed that “trapo” was a better combination because it’s also the Spanish-derived Tagalog word for rag.

by Jose F. Lacaba 21 Feb 06, 0937 GMT

Thanks! Very useful.

by Grant Barrett 21 Feb 06, 1157 GMT

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo = Trapo

by migz cortazar 03 Aug 06, 0836 GMT