This article laments the state of Philippine democracy, where incumbents dominate elections due to lack of viable opposition and rampant vote buying. The author argues that citizens have little choice and are effectively kept poor and dependent on government handouts. He draws comparisons to past elections with genuine competition and qualified candidates, highlighting the stark contrast with the current situation.
IN A recent encounter with the governor of a northern province, I learned the incumbents have no real opponents for the six congressional districts, and out of his 36 municipalities and cities the incumbents in 28 constituencies have virtually no opponents for the forthcoming May elections.
It’s a classic case of what Jean Baptiste Alphonse Karr remarked about life: “Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose” .The economy is controlled by a few oligarchs who have taken advantage of the regulatory power of the State and captured this for more and more profits.Taking a look at the pages of our political history, one comes across the then famous if presumptuous lyrics of the campaign jingle written by Raul Manglapus for Ramon Magsaysay in the 1953 elections.
In short, people had a choice, courtesy of the two main parties, regardless of non-existent ideological difference. The two parties presented senatorial candidates whose qualifications were excellent, mostly lawyers. They strived to have all ethno-linguistic groups represented in their slate: Tagalog, Ilocano, Pampango, Bisaya, Ilonggo, Waray, Christian Mindanao, Muslim Mindanao.
While there are exceptions to the rule of money and the feudal system, but they are as rare as the Philippine eagle. So come May 2025, the electorate will likely send in more clowns to the Senate, more dynasts to the House of Representatives, the provincial and city governments.
PHILIPPINES DEMOCRACY ELECTION VOTE BUYING INCUMBENTS
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