28 Why has the Church been so actively involved in politics in the Philippines?

The main reason, the Bishops themselves said, is the following fact: "Philippine politics – the way it is practised – has been the most hurtful of us as a people. It is possibly the biggest bane in our life as a nation and the most pernicious obstacle to our achieving full development" (PEPP, 7). PCP-II summed up our kind of politics in this way: "Perhaps an even more fundamental aspect of our kahirapan is that poverty and inequality joined to the absence of reliable social services seem to be part of a self-perpetuating social system and political culture" (PCP-II Appendix 1, pp. 278-79)

29  What are some of the negative features our political culture?

Negatively, Philippine politics is often described as basically "patronage politics",  "a politics of personalities" and a "politics of pay-off." PCP-II summarily described our politics in the following way: "Power and control are also elitist, lopsidedly concentrated on established families that tend to perpetuate themselves in political dynasties" (PCP-II, 24).

30  What is meant by "patronage politics"?

Deriving from the feudal system of master and servant, the politics of patronage considers the relationship between public official and ordinary citizen as that of patron (master) and client (servant). Rewards or benefits are distributed according to the loyalty of clients to their patrons. Clients or voters depend on their patrons or public officials for every development project or assistance, and solutions to community problems. Rewards or development projects are distributed, then, on the basis not of justice due to people but on the basis of the government official's "kindness" and the loyalty of the people to the public official.  Thus political leaders and followers who show support are rewarded with projects, money or jobs. Dependence and subservience, passivity and inaction on the part of citizens is characteristic of such a system. This accounts for the lack of viable political organizations among the poor on the one hand and the concentration of power in the hands of the few on the other. In addition because political positions are treated like feudal properties, public funds are used by some officials as their own, for personal or family interests.  In fact a political office is often treated as some sort of a feudal title to be passed on from one generation to another. This is at the basis of so called "family dynasties."

31  What is meant by the "politics of personalities"?

This is a system where the popularity of political candidates rather than issues count more than knowledge and competence. The popularity of personalities and the "connection" of personalities to the powers that be are more often than not the main criteria for judging who should be elected. Thus, candidates for political office who are popular in movies, sports, or are connected to powerful political families have a significant headstart in elections. Coupled with Filipino values of family-centeredness, family connections have resulted in family political dynasties. Moreover, the politics of personalities has made it possible for frequent changes in political party affiliation or political "turn-coatism". Parties do not have political ideologies that present voters with clear cut alternatives on key social issues such as environmental protection, globalization, trade liberalization, etc.  PCP-II observed that people themselves "seem to care more for the projects and gifts and less for the substantive issues on which their elected political representatives should take a stand" (PCP-II, pp. 279-80).

32  What is meant by a "politics of pay-off"?

It is a system of politics where political advantage is the reason that a politician takes one position over another with regard to issues. The political debate depends on answers to such questions as "What will you do for me if I support you on this issue"?  Pay-off can be in terms of financial "commissions", political appointments, or of better political leverage. This is sadly the belief of what goes on in the halls of Congress. It is not rare that decisions are based not on principles but on "horse trading", vested interests and on so called "party loyalty." Many people, therefore, believe that decisions on the government yearly budget depend very much on questions of the "pork barrel" fund. The more generous the "pork barrel" the easier other items of the budget are approved.  "Politics of pay-off" also includes vote-buying.

33 Is the mentality of many politicians part of this political culture?

Yes. Undoubtedly there are many politicians who truly strive for the common good. They consider themselves public servants in the real sense and truly act as such. Unfortunately, there are also many who give politics a dirty name because of their mentality.  They look at politics as a means of enrichment and a source of influence and power for self and family-interests. Thus, politics becomes a cause of greed. Principles are sacrificed. One can very well ask why so many would want to spend so much money and even cheat in order to be elected to political positions that pay relatively little. 

34  Do the terms "traditional politics" and "traditional politicians" refer to the negative features mentioned?

Yes. In themselves the terms are not derogatory. But in recent years, to highlight the need of a new kind of politics and of a new breed of politicians, the terms "traditional politics" and "traditional politicians" have increasingly been understood to describe the negative features of the world of politics. This is the background of the word trapo.

35 Is this why the Bishops say that our political culture is negative?

Yes, the bishops, said that the political "system is shot through and through with opportunities for corruption, influence-peddling, and the indiscriminate use of public funds for partisan or personal purposes" (PEPP, p. 29). They also said: "If we are what we are today - a country with a very great number of poor and powerless people – one reason is the way we have allowed politics to be debased and prostituted to the low level it is now" (PEPP, p. 10). In fact after analyzing the very negative features of the election process, the Bishops lamented that: "The prime values of our faith – charity, justice, honesty, truth – these are of little or no consequence at all when it comes to our practice of politics in or out of election time." (PEPP, p. 21).

36  Why? What is wrong about our election process?

The Bishops mention the following evils that are happening before elections:

	switching party affiliations for the sake of political ambition;
	getting media exposure by any means, including bribing willing journalists;
	using public funds for political advertisements;
	using government bureaucracy for campaigning;
	being "wined, dined, and womened" at convention time in order to win votes;
	spending enormous amounts of funds, accountable and unaccountable, before and during the campaign period;
	making campaigns more of an entertainment circus for people and of black propaganda rather than discussion of issues;
	people in turn ask for countless donations from candidates;
	people registering more than once in different precincts.

37  What are the evil activities done on election day itself?

	Using "flying voters";
	intimidating voters; using violence and even murdering political rivals or their supporters;
	scaring voters away by threats of violence; deliberately making voting paraphernalia unavailable, and precincts inaccessible;
	bribing election officials, including teachers who count the votes;
	tampering with ballots; deliberately miscounting votes; changing election results;
	delaying or slowing down the tabulation of final results in order to create opportunities for changing the results.

38  After the elections, what questionable or even reprehensible   actions do we observe?

	Protesting the final results as tabulated;
	slowness of deciding on election protests such that election winners hardly have any time left to serve their tenure;
	using political office in order to pay election debts, recoup election expenses, make fat profits, and perpetuate the officeholder in power;
	nepotism in political appointments; kickbacks in approving and awarding projects.

39  Are the people themselves responsible for this sad situation?