By Barkha Singh
Published On: February 20, 2022 at 14:00 IST
Introduction
Philippines have faced a prolonged struggle with political palm-greasing and volatility in the aftermath of the 1986 revolution. The recent developments that have unfolded in the run-up to the 2022 Presidential elections have taken the shape of a political telenovela.
The present Philippine’s President Rodgrigo Duterte’s withdrawing his bid to become a senator has caused a carnival of confusion and incertitude. Around the globe, party politics and electoral instability have been a formidable part and parcel of national politics.
The political history in the case of Asian democracies, the detrimental impact of authoritarian legacies on the democratic party system leave an indistinguishable mark on the democratic fabric of a country.
This article delves into the political background of the Philippines and the recent political quagmire that has ensued in the face of the upcoming 2022 Presidential elections.
Political and Electoral System
The Philippines has a Unitary Presidential Republic system of government. In this system, executive power is vested mainly with the President as he is both head of state and head of government. The President is directly elected by the people through fast past the post system. The Philippines constitution mandates a six-year term and prohibits re-election.
The Vice President in the Philippines is limited to two consecutive six-year terms and is elected separately from the President by the people in national elections.
Thus, the President and Vice President may be from different political parties. Executive power is exercised through the Cabinet, although utterly in all respects, the powers ultimately remain with the President as he may overrule any decision made by the Cabinet.
The President also has some emergency military powers like the capability to declare martial law. The President commands significant political power and ascendency.
Consequently, the legislature has never overcome a presidential veto. This helps us discern how the strength of the presidency combined with weak state institutions amplifies corruption.
Elections are conducted by the Commission on Elections. Despite the plurality voting system used for electing presidents, elections are, in essence, a multi-party system. The Philippines has witnessed various electoral frauds and vote-buying campaigns over the years.
Political instability over decades
When the Philippines attained independence, its military and economic tied with the United States of America were significantly vital. The U.S.A had ruled over the Philippines in two phases. The first phase was from 1898-1935, during which it furthered its colonial interests.
And the second phase was from 1936 to 1946, during which the commonwealth of Philippines was established. During World War II , the Philippines was occupied by Japan, which affected the country’s political and economic systems immensely.
World War II was devitalizing for the country as the island nation had suffered from rampant inflation and shortages of other goods. Philippines gained independence from the U.S.A in 1946, and Manual Roxas was sworn as the first President.
The country’s economy remained highly dependant on the U.S.A and U.S.A continued to ensure control over 23 military bases for many years to come. The agreements and leases contracted concerning Military bases with the U.S.A, and the Philippines were the greatest single cause of friction between the two countries.
Subsequently, the Huk guerrillas rose again in the form of the People’s Liberation Army against the new government. After the negotiations failed, a rebellion began in 1950 with communist support.
Ramon Magsaysay, a populist icon, was elected in 1953, and under him, the uprising came to an end. Carlos P. Gracia the next President advanced the policy of “Filipinos first” and worked on making the United States of America relinquish some of the military bases.
This work was continued by Diosdado Macapagal, who was elected in 1961. Prolonged negotiations with the U.S.A over military bases and concerning rights led to a considerable rise in anti-American sentiments and demonstrations.
Nationalistic Party leader Ferdinand Macros was elected as the Philippines president in 1965. The Macros era dominated the political scene for the coming two decades. Macros became the first president to be re-elected in 1969.
But during his second term, the communist insurgency was on the rise, led by the new Communist Party of Philippines and its military arm popularly known as the New People’s Army.
In the face of increasing insurgency, Macros declared imposition of martial law in 1972, which remained in place till 1981. During this time, Maros, his family, particularly his wife Imelda Romualdez Macros and associates engaged in rampant corruption.
The armed forces soon became highly politicised, with essential and high-ranking positions being given to Macro’s loyalists. When marital law was lifted in 1981 and the government proclaimed a “New republic”, not a lot had changed and Macros easily won the re-election.
The beginning of the end of the Macros era resulted from the assassination of his political rival Bengino Ninoy Aquino. This led to Aquino becoming a martyr and symbolic of the rising political indignation against a corrupt regime.
Many political and social groups, including the Catholic church and the left wing began to exert pressure on the government. Eventually, under international pressure, Marcos called for snap elections in 1986. Opponents of Marcos and his regime consolidated around Corazon Cojuango Aquino, widow of assassinated political leader Bengino Aquino.
Marcos was declared winner of the snap elections but military and public protests led to the People Power Revolution ousted Macros on the day of his inauguration and bringing Corazon Aquino to power. The People Power Movement was almost a bloodless revolution involving the uprising of ordinary citizens supported by defecting military units.
A new constitution imposed limits to presidential power including creating a single term limit. Since then, a wobbling multi-party system has emerged on the national level, which has been continuously challenged by a crisis ranging from presidential impeachment, two more mass public movements and several attempted coups.
2022 Elections and Recent Developments
The May elections will be a critical crossroads for a debilitated Philippines populace. President Rodrigo Duterte cannot seek re-election because of the constitution mandating a single six-year term, but is allowed to run for other positions in nationwide elections.
Although recently, he withdrew his bid to become a senator. On the same day, Duterte’s preferred successor Senator Christopher “Bong Go” quit the presidential race, a decision his party said was to enable him to better serve the country.
Bong Go’s withdrawal is the most recent turnabout in the Philippine election race fraught with last-minute changes and whammies that have bemused political scholars. Much is at stake for Duterte, who has made as many enemies as allies during a presidency fraught with government scandals and his infamous bloody war on drugs.
Sara Duterte-Carpio, Duterte’s daughter was postulated to succeed him and was thought to be the powerhouse candidate for the presidency, but she has instead opted to run for vice president alongside Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. the son of the late dictator, Marcos, who has emerged as an early frontrunner according to a recent Pulse Asia survey.
The Marcos family is among the country’s most infamous dynasties and despite its fall from grace, it has retained powerful political connections and steadfast support in its stronghold of Ilocos Norte province. After years of torturing and displacing thousands of Filipinos under marital law, Marcos Senior went into exile in Hawaii with his family.
After his father died, Marcos was permitted to return to the Philippines, where he later served as a governor and a senator. He ran for Vice President in 2016, but was beaten by the lawyer Leni Robredo, who’s also running for President in the upcoming election.
The Vice President and President are elected separately in the Philippines, but the alliance allows both sides to tap each other’s voter bases — Marcos is popular in the northern part of the country, while the Dutertes are favoured in the south. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been resuscitating the family’s image with a sophisticated social media campaign.
Other candidate includes the incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo, who has been a fierce critic of Duterte when it comes to his pandemic response and war on drugs. Previously she has supported anti discrimination and anti-poverty movements and a Freedom of Information Act that increased public transparency of government funding and transactions.
Robredo has experience as a politician and vice president, but whether voters will appreciate those achievements is another thing altogether.
Boxing world-champion Pacquiao has filed for presidency elections and his rags-to-riches story has earned him folk-hero status among Filipinos and through strong political network has come into power in different positions over the years. Although Pacquiao has a poor political track record and was the most absent member of the Senate.
Panfilo Ping Lacson, ex-director general of the police, has served on and off in the Philippines Senate since 2001 and has become part of the presidential race. Hailed as an enforcer who spurned bribes and cracked down on corruption, Lacson has gained a celebrity-like status for his reforms of the police system.
Over the years, he has been accused in cases ranging from money laundering to killings of gang members, which had put him on Interpol’s “red-notice” wanted list in 2010. Having one failed a presidential bid from 2004, Lacson now hopes to win the race with promises of curbing illegal drugs, criminality, and corruption, which mirrors Duterte’s 2016 campaign.
The campaign promises to be one of the Philippines most bitterly fought contests in years, not least because the Marcos-Duterte tie-up has not won the blessing of Sara Duterte’s father. The once-friendly relations between Rodrigo Duterte and Bongbong Marcos have frayed, possibly beyond repair.
Conclusion
The critical challenge for the 17th Philippine President would be to revolutionize the current administration’s unplanned and jury-rigged policy of limited complex balancing into comprehensive and grand strategy that will guide the Philippines in the next six years.
Democratic backsliding and weak governance have contributed to the country’s poor pandemic performance.
Unequivocally, through improvements in controlling corruption, accountability, the rule of law, and political stability, the declining percentile rank of the Philippines in the World Governance Indicators can be arrested.
The political telenovela in the coming months will set the course for a future that might put the Philippines in a politically and economically buoyant state.
Edited by: Tanvi Mahajan, Publisher, Law Insider
References
- Economic Growth And Political Stability
- Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte
- Strategic National Agenda
- Future Of Democracy-And Rise Of Authoritarianism
- Duterte Election Philippines Dynasty