The 2007 Philippine Election: An Autopsy of A Failed Democracy

On May 14, 2007, the Filipino people will once more troop to their voting precincts to cast their votes. On this day, the Filipinos will once more exercise their right to vote, a right that was originally handed to them by their American masters in 1946 and regained from the Marcos' dictatorship in 1986.

The Filipino voters will not vote to change the rotten political and economic system that has kept them enslaved in a feudal economic and political system controlled by the Roman Catholic Church and their allies among the oligarchs and the political elite. This is because making change-political or otherwise - is not in the agenda in this year's election. The election in May will transpire simply because the term of office of the winners last election is over. There is no other reason why the election will be held this time other than the simple fact that it is scheduled to be held. In a country where voters have been trained to follow religious rituals for many centuries, the election rituals in May will be an extension of the unquestioned religious rituals where the big players are the different churches and their followers.

The Philippines is still under the domination of Vipras, the Priests of the Roman Catholic Church and the newly emerged Churches among the Protestants and local sects. The election is a big event for these churches for they can manifest their political power to the masses and extract political and economic concessions from populist political candidates. This election ritual is a way of sealing and strengthening old and new political alliances for economic benefits excluding the interest of the masses.

Philippine democracy or what is now known as "democrazy" is nothing but a fantasy. Elections are nothing but rituals performed to maintain the domination of the Priests and Pastors and their partners - the political and economic elites or the oligarchs. This is the reason why the country has been the economic laggard in the region because the elections and the political system that justifies it has been designed to maintain the Catholic-based feudalism which was established by the Spanish Friars during the 18th Century. It is no wonder that the most powerful politician in the country is the Archbishop of the Manila Diocese, His Eminence Cardinal Rosales. In real terms, the Cardinal is the most powerful man in the country, more than the President Gloria Arroyo. He can veto any program of the President.

The political power of the Cardinal Rosales is an extension of the power of the Catholic Pope who is based in the Vatican City and the top honcho of the Roman Catholic Church Empire. This is the reason why, Philippine democracy is a fraud and a fantasy because the real political power are wielded by persons who are not elected by the people and who are not even citizens of the country. The Cardinal Rosales who wields the political power that even the Philippine President do not posses, is not elected in any democratic election, nor does he represent any political constituency. The Cardinal Rosales loyalty is not to the Filipino people but to his superior and employer, the Pope, who is sitting in the Vatican City out there in Italy.

To Vote or Not To Vote - The Real Question

Many will not exercise their right to vote this May. According to them, there is really no point to vote for incompetent candidates who cannot define what their platform in office are. Philippine democracy lacks the party system that successful republics maintain. Since there is no party system, there are no permanent alliances and no party platforms, visions and objectives. Political alliances changes every election time and different political parties and affiliations suddenly appear during the election season like the mushrooms during the rainy season.

Since there are no credible political parties and platform of government, there is no one accountable to the mismanagement in government that has been taking place for decades. The next President, Senator, Congressman or local government executive will simply stop all projects his/her predecessor started and start a new project that will give financial rewards for him/her and their followers. A new round of corruption takes place.

The country under this kind of "democrazy" lags behind in economic development and ensures that majority of the population feels poor and hungry. The condition of poverty and ignorance of the people is exactly what the religious masters want - an environment where they can show concern and relevance and where they can evangelize and provide help from the donations of the rich members from other countries.

This environment is also what the Cardinals and Bishops like to perpetuate because it provides them the opportunity to grandstand as protector of the people by giving sermons against rampant corruption, election irregularities, abuse of human rights and the platform to appeal to the people to "pray" some more to change the political and economic malaise.

The politicians running for office are the same faces that continually populate the senate and congress. After their terms are over, their sons, wives, husbands, and clan members are their successors to continue the rotten political system.

This Philippine democrazy is one of its kind in the world - a strange outcome of the centuries old Spanish-Catholic-based feudalism and decades of American imperialism. It will take some more decades for the new generation of Filipinos to dismantle this crazy political and economic system. The new Senate and Congress that will come out from the May elections will be populated with the same kind of politicians and the same oligarchic families that control the power in the country. Together with the Cardinals and Pastors of the religious sector, they will maintain a political system - "Philippine democrazy" - that will ensure their well being and ensure that the environment of poverty and ignorance of the people are well in place.