“Democratic” Philippines Luis V
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ChasingtheWind: Assessing Teenee (Second Edition) I a r Felipe B. Miranda. | Temario G3Rivera- Editors si ‘na aia’aiees " [oes oat Chasing the Wind Assessing Philippine Democracy (Second Edition) Felipe B. Miranda | Temario C. Rivera Editors Published by the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Chasing the Wind Assessing Philippine Democracy (Second Edition) ISBN 978-971-93106-7-9 Printed in the Philippines PUBLISHED BY Commission on Human Rights, Philippines U.P. Complex, Commonwealth Avenue Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippipnes United Nations Development Programme Book layout and cover design by Fidel dela Torre Copyright©2016 by the CHRP, UNDP, and the authors All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage retrieval system, without written permission from the authors and the publishers, except for brief review. Disclaimer: Any opinion(s) expressed therein do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Development Programme but remain solely those of the author(s). Table of Contents iii Table of Contents Foreword v by Jose Luis Martin C. Gascon Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines Foreword vii by Titon Mitra UNDP Country Director Prologue viii by Felipe B. Miranda Chapter 1 1 Conceptualizing and Measuring Modern Democracy Felipe B. Miranda Chapter 2 43 Rethinking Democratization in the Philippines: Elections, Political Families, and Parties Temario C. Rivera Chapter 3 75 The Never Ending Democratization of the Philippines Malaya C. Ronas Chapter 4 107 Local Governments, Civil Society, Democratization, and Development Ronald D. Holmes Chapter 5 142 Elections as an Instrument of Political Control Rene B. Azurin Chapter 6 185 Reform and Abolition: The Philippine Party List System Bobby M. Tuazon iv Chasing the Wind: Assessing Philippine Democracy, Second Edition Chapter 7 204 Truth Telling and Other Perils in “Democratic” Philippines Luis V. Teodoro Chapter 8 227 Political Socialization in the Philippines: Learning about Democracy Maria Cecilia Gastardo-Conaco Chapter 9: Epilogue 246 Philippine Democratization: Summing-up Key Conceptual, Institutional, and Developmental Issues Temario C. Rivera About the Contributors 263 Appendix A 266 First Edition Foreword by Loretta Ann P. Rosales Appendix B 269 First Edition Foreword by Renaud Meyer Index 270 Foreword v Foreword When Chasing the Wind rst came out in 2011, it was, at the same time, an exemplication of one of the key aspects of a working democracy, namely freedom of expression or the uninhibited ow of alternative viewpoints, no matter how controversial, and a no-holds barred deconstruction of the popularly-held notion that the Philippines is itself a working democracy. The ideas put forward by the four original authors were audacious and unconventional, aimed at addressing serious deciencies with the status quo in order to enable the Filipino people to appreciate what needs to be done in order to effectively operationalize a workable democratic project for the Philippines. More than just taking, at face value, the various institutions that were put in place over the years aimed at ensuring participatory democratic governance, such as electoral reforms and Constitutional safeguards, the rst edition of the book took a closer look at whether or not these mechanisms were working in the way they had been intended. This it did by posing hard questions regarding the accountability of public ofcials, indicators for measuring the quality of human life, and a denite period for assessing the actual practice of governance. Rejecting the notion that the Philippines can call itself a democracy simply because its people are free to select their own leaders, the authors took a critical perspective at our purported democratic institutions. They not only asked the question of whether democratically-elected leaders were actually fullling their popular mandates, but also considered the existing system's ability to effectively exact accountability from ofce holders. What these authors uncovered are truths that would present a real challenge to those who would wield power in a democratic setting. In this new edition, the original four authors are joined by an additional four more social scientists who collectively contribute to the ongoing work of critically assessing Philippine Democracy. Together, they seek to expand on the ideas propounded in the original volume, advance new ideas to truly and meaningfully democratize society, and reshape how Filipinos engage public institutions, such as to include the rights we should be demanding from these institutions. vi Chasing the Wind: Assessing Philippine Democracy, Second Edition This volume should be read by democratic reformers and activists because of the concrete ideas it propounds about how to make democracy work and become more meaningful for Filipino citizens. It provides a sober look into our notions of democracy, challenging many assumptions that we may have taken for granted and also debunking others. The discourse offers compassionate insight, supported by painstaking research and empirical evidence. This book becomes all the more signicant and important with the landscape of Philippine democracy constantly evolving, especially in this age of fast-paced communication and social media. I congratulate the authors and wish them continued success in their quest to build a vibrant democracy worthy of the aspirations for freedom of all Filipinos. Jose Luis Martin C. Gascon Chairperson Foreword vii Foreword On 22 February 1986, the People Power Revolution swept aside an authoritarian regime that had gripped the Philippines for 14 years. Soon afterwards, a convention was called to draft a new constitution; one that was grounded in the principles of human rights, and one that would restore democratic institutions that were representative of, and responsive to, the interests of the Filipino people. Since then, the conduct of successive elections, the decentralisation of scal and administrative authority, and the resurgence of civil society suggested that the Philippines had made strides to broaden and deepen its democracy. However, beyond the surface lies deep rooted problems that still persist. Political dynasties still dominate elections, in public ofce corruption and collusion is rampant, and the huge levels of disparity and unabated poverty continue to undermine the nation's claim to democracy. “Chasing the Wind” is a critical assessment of Philippine politics over the past 30 years. It is an honest, frank, and arresting collection of viewpoints from esteemed Filipino writers who have striven to deepen the process of democratisation through their respective careers in academic research and writing. Building on the rst edition, the authors point to aws, gaps, and issues in Philippine politics that need to be addressed to deepen democracy in the Philippines. This study reafrms that human rights are at the core of democracy, and from this perspective, political participation and the proper exercise of political accountability are fundamental rights of each and every citizen, which cannot and should not be sacriced. Titon Mitra Country Director viii Chasing the Wind: Assessing Philippine Democracy, Second Edition Prologue Felipe B. Miranda This volume on Philippine democratization follows an earlier probe* that looked into the core features of modern democracies as they evolved worldwide and then summarily assessed the status of the Philippines as a modern democracy. In the present study, eight Filipino scholars collaborate in examining selected institutions, structures and processes that impact on their nation's ability to birth and nurture democratization initiatives. As senior academics, their challenge has been to competently reect on Philippine political history, a narrative that they had not only read and learned about but personally experienced in their ve or more decades of life in the country. The task is actually a rather daunting one for they cannot be said to be free of biases that could blunt their analytical rigor. After all, being Filipino, their acknowledged bias is democratic governance. Even as their political culture and history reect much tolerance, perhaps even in many cases an outright propensity for authoritarian mindsets, their modern world nevertheless inclines them to favor progressive development and demonstrably powerful, not so traditional ideas. Democracy is clearly an idea whose time has come. Nothing conrms this fact more than the great majority of constitutions proclaiming their faith in democracy. States as varied as Afghanistan, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Canada, China, India, Russia, the two Koreas, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, France, Germany, Italy, Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Egypt, Israel, (Qadda's) Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Uganda – an incredibly wide assortment of political regimes -- all solemnly profess adherence to "democracy" or "democratic" norms in their formal constitutions. So, incidentally, does the Philippines. Indeed, constitutions without an explicit allusion to "democracy" comprise a rather small set, with Iran, the United States, Japan, Singapore and Australia notably present. It is obvious that most states would like to claim democratic status or, at least, to project an ongoing, successful transformation of their polities