CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
PHILIPPINE ELECTIONS
1.
Ruled by the elite
Most
of the candidates and elected officials come from the elite and landed
gentry. They are called traditional politicians (TRAPOs) as they use the
following common strategies to get elected:
a. Use of 6 Gs.
The most important among the Gs is the gold or money. To win an election,
a candidate must have tons of money to spend—to get nominated and to get
elected.
b. Membership in a traditional political party which has no clear
difference with other political parties in terms of ideology principles,
objectives, and platform.
c. Reliance on public relation gimmicks to project good image rather than
their platform and stands on issues.
2. No real party system.
Philippine political parties have no fundamental differences in
ideology principles, and political platform. Their supreme principle is to
be in power. The only thing that separates them is that one is in power
(Administration) and the other is not (opposition). That is why we have
rampant political butterflies or "balimbing." Turncoatism or
switching/ transferring from party to party is a reality in Philippine
politics.
3. Venue for foreign intervention
Past elections served as venues of foreign interventions, overtly or
covertly (particularly the U.S.), to protect and strengthen their
political and economic interest by:
a. Promoting the personality of favored candidates through the media, and
by destroying the credibility of the opposition (e.g. Magsaysay vs.
Quirino);
b. Channeling campaign fund contributions through varied conduit such as
private individuals or foundations;
c. Sending of foreign observer teams to monitor the conduct of election
and to make elections appear credible even as they try to ensure the
victory of their favored candidates; and
d. Exploiting voter's superstitions such as fear of "aswang" or
vampires and beliefs in divine partisanship in elections.
The Philippine electorate has become cynical of the electoral process.
With their situation of poverty and the feeling of power-lessness, they
resort to patronage and personality-oriented type of politics. They are
forced to vote traditional politicians.
With this reality, election, becomes a venue for the elite/traditional
politicians to determine among themselves who will govern or sit in the
different key government positions (executive and legislative). Elections
have served mainly as mechanisms to maintain and legitimize the leadership
of the elite.
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inquiries or comment, you may contact the WEBMASTER
Last Updated: Sunday, May 06, 2001 10:24:10 AM
CCHOPE ELECTION
2001 