The Philippines’ political dysfunction stems from its political structure. The Malolos Constitution provided for a unicameral parliamentary system which is what was the norm then for European states transitioning from a monarchy to a republic or a constitutional monarchy. Several European states did away with their monarchs. Only a few remain in place up to the present.
The Philippines didn’t have a monarchy but there has always been the informal monarchy of the elites. From the ilustrados to the oligarchs, there hasn’t been much of a difference. The true patriots, such as Bonifacio, Luna, Roman, were sidelined. Aguinaldo himself, was rendered inutile by his own inner circle, replaced by the Castila from Baler that was Quezon. When Quezon passed away, the nationalist Osmena was junked in favor of the patsy Roxas, who organized the Liberal Party.
Since 1946, we have been under the republican bicameral form of government which has served the oligarchs well but not the people. Ferdinand Marcos instituted a return to the unicameral parliamentary form of government but after his ouster, the oligarchs put the old system back in place through Cory’s Constitutional Commission. As Juan Ponce Enrile stated, Aquino was, in essence, the true dictator because the 1987 Constitution was nowhere representative of the people’s mandate because all of its members were appointed by a President ruling under a revolutionary government legitimated by a “Freedom Constituion” whose premise was a “People Power Revolution.”
It has been downhill for the Philippines since then. We have been left behind by our Asian neighbors not only in terms of economic growth but also eradicating poverty and instituting equality and equanimity in our society.
Rodrigo Duterte has shown what a principled leadership can achieve in five years. Duterte has left the economy in the able hands of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and the other members of the Cabinet Cluster on Economic Development. The landmark Comprehensive Tax Reform Program has done wonders for the economy and also infrastructure development with the commitment to spend 5% of GDP for that purpose.
Our problem has always been continuity of policies and a commitment to bureaucratic reform. The root cause of the problem has never been addressed and that is the dysfunctional 1987 Constitution which leaves us in the conundrum of what comes next after Duterte?
Our history post-Marcos is reflective of this. A civil-military coup ousted a legitimately elected President in Joseph Estrada. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was also the object of ouster moves after her falling out with Cory Aquino and her cohorts. Nine years of political theatre did nothing to advance our economy. Only the economic reform measures which Arroyo passed had an impact. GMA wasn’t able to find a qualified successor and fate was to be unkind again with the election of Benigno C. Aquino III as President.
Noynoy was more of a Boy-King who was out to get his family’s political enemies. Ping De Jesus, who resigned early on in the second Aquino administration described it as a “student government.” The same was true with Cory Loyalist, Joker Arroyo.
The question is now, how do we continue with the momentum Duterte has begun?
Eminent political strategist Malou Tiquia has stated:
GOING for a tandem in May 2022 is the way to go for cohesion, team, collaboration, innovation, transformation and the future. When politics sets aside the divisiveness of partisanship, the country is better served. And this is one change Filipino voters will have to decide: do I vote for a tandem, or do I continue voting for a split ticket, thinking that checks and balances will make us better?
Filipinos have, for so long, voted in terms of a preconceived notion of checks and balance. We select a different candidate for president and vice president, thinking that they will be checking on each other and hence, have a better government. We have seen that it has led to disaster post-EDSA to the present under the Duterte administration where again, Filipinos split their tickets.
Again, the dysfunctional 1987 Constitution is to blame. Since 1992, we have always had to contend with split tickets. But the Vice-President’s who preceded Leni Robredo, have always worked hand-in-hand with the Presidents won; Erap under FVR, GMA, ,up to an extent under Erap, Noli De Castro under GMA and Jejomar Binay under PNoy.
Only Leni Robredo hasn’t worked with the President despite the repeated efforts of the latter for national unity. This was one of the main points Duterte raised in his first SONA. Right after the Presidency was in the bag for him, he already sounded off the opposition.
We all know what happened after. The opposition continues to vilify the Duterte administration up to today, both here and abroad. There is no national unity in the interim to focus on nation-building. This is what the Yellowidiots have been doing since Day One. Notice how this wasn’t the case when Enrile, Binay and Erap were in the opposition during the Aquino administration. Despite the blundering of PNoy, there was no calls for his ouster. There was no threat of a coup. The opposition stuck to the rule of law. PNoy repaid this gentlemanly act by throwing them in detention after they had served their purpose during the Corona Impeachment Trial.
This is one reason why Robredo isn’t fit to be President. She can’t put the national interest ahead of her own and that of the opposition of which she is the titular head. In corporate parlance, she has a fiduciary responsibility to work for ALL Filipinos, not only those who voted for her but those who didn’t vote for her. Her first duty is to country, not the oligarchs who are anti-Duterte.
Unless it is a law, I don’t think Filipinos will go for tandem voting any time soon. Not even in this election. In 2016, when it became evident that Mar Roxas was going to lose, the handlers of Binay decided to sound off on a Binay-Robredo ticket. Voters didn’t buy into this.
Realistically, it should’ve been a Marcos-Duterte as President and Vice-President if only Robredo and Andy Bautista didn’t pull the rug from under Marcos’ feet. This would’ve resulted in more achievements for the administration had it become a reality. This wasn’t a tandem vote.
But the 2022 is a different horse race. If you’re thinking of tandems then the best would only be a choice between two; Lacson-Sotto and Marcos-Duterte. What would voters get from the Moreno-Ong and Pacquiao-Atienza tandems? I wouldn’t include Leody De Guzman and Walden Bello as that would be a total waste of votes altogether.
My friend #DataChimp and I were having another discussion today about the upcoming election. The race is bound to start heating up when the official campaign period begins. There is the Sword of Damocles hanging over Marcos’ head that is Commissioner Rowena Guanzon whose division is handling the disqualification petition filed by Akbayan.
What are the chances that Guanzon will go out and retire with a bang by disqualifying Marcos?
The public is thoroughly entertained by the politikaserye that is Marcos-Duterte versus Robredo-Pangilinan. They forget that they should be scrutinizing the platforms of the candidates rather than base their preference on emotion and cognitive bias.
There is also the Rodrigo Duterte factor. The President can still throw a monkey wrench into the race by endorsing a President other than Marcos in tandem with his daughter.
The longshot would be the Comelec grants PDP-Laban’s petition to reopen the filing of certificates of candidacy and Daughterte suddenly decides to run for President instead.
A lot can still happen in four months.
But in terms of tandems, it can’t be discounted that Lacson-Sotto has the competency, track record and experience.
BBM-Daughterte has the relative youth and the political legacy they inherited from their father’s which makes them the sentimental favorite.
Which tandem are you voting for?
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