chapter 6 (pos102)

• In ousting a dictatorship in 1986, the Philippines became an important player in the democratic wave that swept the world in the 1970s and 1980s
• After years of dictatorial rule, these polities experienced the return of civilian rule, free elections and of political parties, a democratic awakening that resulted in much optimism and even euphoria
• The question still remains whether the restored democracies of the 1980s and 1990s have a better chance at consolidation and survival into the future than predecessors had thirty or fifty years ago
• Strong parties


  Necessary for the long-term consolidation of democratic regimes
• Political parties are the products as well as creators of democracy
• Modern democracy is unthinkable without parties
• The fall of Marcos brought about the restoration of representative institutions and procedures in the post-1986 political system
• A new constitution, ratified by over three-quarters (78 percent) of the voters in 1987, laid down the democratic framework
• Congress was reestablished
• Despite the dominance of the Catholic Church, it never decided electoral outcomes
• Fidel Ramos, a Protestant, was elected president in 1992
• Joseph Estrada was also elected president in 1998 despite strong opposition of the Catholic Church against his candidacy
• The media are regarded as among the freest in Asia
• Human rights and civil liberties are enshrined in the constitution and interest groups advocating various policies abound
• More than fifteen thousand people's organizations and nongovernment organizations (POs-NGOs) form part of an extensive civil society
• An independent Supreme Court serves as the final arbiter on points of law above the network of civil and criminal courts
• The post-1986 democratic system-especially since 1992--saw the restoration of political stability and was concomitant with a remarkable economic turnaround that put the country back into the growth race alongside other Southeast Asian nations
• Peace talks with military and Muslim rebel groups took place, resulting in these groups' integration into regular political life
• Talks with the communists proved more difficult, but they progressed despite a number of suspensions
• Established monopolies and cartels in telecommunications, banking, shipping, coconut, and other strategic industries were dismantled
• Liberalization and privatization measures were added moves toward decentralization, as a result of the enactment of the Local Government Code in 1991
• This led to greater private and local initiatives, which in turn resulted in more investments
• Economic dynamism as reflected in the modest yet positive growth in GNP, the expansion of exports, the stable foreign-exchange reserves from remittances of overseas Filipinos, and a fairly low rate of inflation are indications of a rather resilient economy
• The 1987 Constitution restored the pre-1972 presidential system but replaced the two-party system by "a free and open party system" which encouraged the setting up of a multiparty system and led to the emergence of a number of parties in post-1986 elections
• The introduction of a party-list system for the election of some representatives in Congress further resulted to the strengthening of the multiparty system in Congress
• The framers of the 1987 Constitution preferred a multiparty system as they wished to avoid the return of the oligarchical tendencies of the pre-1972 two-party system under which electoral contests tended to be confined to a few wealthy political families
• Under a multiparty system, elective positions were believed to be open to a large number of political groups
• According to the constitution, the three branches of government- executive legislature, and judiciary-are equal, as in the United States
• Presidents are popularly elected for a fixed single term of six years
• It is the Filipino president who creates his party and not the party that creates the president
• Congress is bicameral
• The twenty-four members of the Senate are elected nationally for a maximum of two consecutive terms of six years each
• Two hundred of the 250 members of the House of Representatives are elected by legislative districts, based on population size except for the very small ones, for a maximum of three consecutive terms of three years each
• The first-past-the-post majority system applies to both cases, but the other fifty members of the House are elected from party lists on a proportional basis
• The limitation on tenure is prescribed by the constitution to discourage the revival of pre-1972 political dynasties and promote a more equal access to representatives of other parties
• Elections are regulated by the 1987 Constitution and by the Omnibus Election Code (OEC)
• The provisions of the constitution in this respect are that there shall be no literacy, property, or other discriminatory rules restricting the right to vote
• The task to enforce election laws rests with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC)
• COMELEC exercises exclusive jurisdiction over the qualifications of candidates, the accreditation of parties and citizens' election groups, and canvassing
• COMELEC sets the dates of opening of the campaign period, ensures that candidates are provided free, equal, and publicly financed media exposure, regulates campaign expenses, and acts against terrorism, voters' harassment, and electioneering by government officials and employees