The State of Philippine Politics: Weak institutions, Distorted policies

Reaction sa grupo nila Scott (comments....mula sa grupong "Filipinos Worldwide for Progressive Philippine")

Hi Scott, mga kapatid, pasensya na't sa tingin n'yo'y masyado na'kong makulit, kontrabida sa e-group, sa grupo n'yo (FFBP). Sa tantya ko, mahirap ng magkasalubungan tayo sa paniniwalang politikal. Baka pwede pang magkasundo tayo sa level ng personal. Kung pro-GMA ang grupo n'yo, Ok lang yan, nasa context ng grupo n'yo yan at nirerespeto ko.

Kaya lang, iba-iba ang paniniwala' pananaw ng mga Pilipino, sa kasalukuyang dispensation, polarized na ang lipunang Pilipino. Tulad n'yo, pare-pareho tayong gustong maglingkod sa mamamyang Pilipino, iba-iba nga langng tinutungtungan. Pasensya't nasa hanay ako sa kabila, sa mga kritiko ni Ate Glo. Sa tingin ko, siya ang pinaka-UNPOPULAR PRESIDENT sa kasaysayan ng bansa.

Kasama, 60% ng Pinoy (SWS, Pulse Asia) na Critical sa GMA administration. Kabilang dito ang legal opposition: Media (broadcast/ print), CBCP, mayorya ng SENADO, 20-40% ng Congress pipol, Hyatt 10, Cory Aquino, Erap, ang civil society group (POs -NGOs), militant sectoral organization (cause oriented groups).

Illegal Opposition: YOUng-Magdalo group (junior offficers-PMA) sa "Kanang" hanggang Kaliwang Underground-CPP-NPA, simple lang ang dahilan, ISYU lang ng GOVERNANCE (bad governance) at isyu ng illegitimate GMA government!
Try kong sagutin isa-isa yung inyong komentaro. - Francisco

What does the American government's fight against terrorist has to do with the government's fight against NPA's and insurgency? If you believe that there are no more NPA's around, why are you even wasting your time talking about it? It's possible that the NPA's during Marcos time have retired or have given up their cause during Cory's time but is it also possible that a new breed of NPA's worse than those NPAs during Marco's time?)have sprouted.

.....-Mismo ang US STATE DEPARTMENT at bagong US ambasador sa Pinas ang nagsasabi na ang concern lang nila sa Mindanao ay maneutralisa ang JI (South-East Asia), Abu Sayaff at MILF group na may indirect-direct link daw sa Al Qaeda-Bin Laden (9/11 attack). Inanunsyo rin nila na hindi sila makiki-alam sa anti-insurgency campaign laban sa CPP-NPA (Joma Sison-political exile) na naka-base sa Ultreck, Netherland at prino- protektahan, inaalagaan ng European (Union) Community, isang kaalyadong bansa ng Estados Unidos (NATO).

Sir Francisco, i hope that you don't mind my asking but I just want to know why you have this deep-seated hatred against the government? What is it exactly that the government did to you that made you so bitter and cynical? I am trying to understand where you're coming from. This organization has taught me so many things and I hope that it will do the same for you.

......-Eto ang mga Kadahilanan, mga Usapin at Suggestion and Recommendation:

Weak institutions, Distorted policiesThe State of Philippine Politics

Institutional deficienciesion

I. Captured Political Institutions and Distorted Policies
II. Crisis of Legitimacy: Lack of Trust and Confidence
III.Fraudulent Electoral System
IV. “Justice for Rent”
V. Elite-Dominated Congress
VI. Endemic and Persistent Instances of Graft and Corruption


Crisis of Legitimacy:
>3 in every 5 Filipinos fail to recognize the effectiveness of government programs that respond to the country’s ailing fiscal crisis

>Of the presidents since the restoration of democracy in 1986, Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo has the lowest net satisfaction rating of -33 as of May 2005. (SWS May 2005 National Survey

>FDI is down throughout the GMA administration: from US$1 billion in 2002 to about US$36 million (representing a 197% decline!)
Less investments mean fewer jobs and lower income…leaving more Filipinos hungry, distrusting and desperate.
>...Because our people do not trust government and its leaders, implementing genuine institutional reforms becomes an insurmountable and daunting task

I. Captured Political Institutions:
>Power, influence, wealth and money remains concentrated among the Filipino elite
>Diminishing STATE AUTONOMY, referred as the “decline in the ability of the state to create and implement decisions devoid of influence and control”, has practically impaired the decision-making ability of our political institutions
>Captured political institutions and money politics render the Philippine State as an instrument of social and political manipulation of the elite
>Such institutional situation perpetuate ANTI-POOR and ANTI-REFORM political leaders


II. Fraudulent electoral system:
>In 2004 national elections, fraud was massive, systematic and sustained:
>Disenfranchisement of at least 3 million voters
>Dagdag-Bawas
>Kidnapping and electoral violence
>“…I am sorry.” – All that PGMA could say after the electoral fraud exposure in the >“Gloria-Garci” scandal

>In our brand of electoral politics, money does the campaigning. Voting becomes a consequence.
>Weak party system and absence of genuine political parties and party principles afflicts more damage to our electoral system

III. “Justice for Rent”:
>Corruption remains as the biggest road block to a credible judiciary
>Lack of reputable legal counsel
>Crooked cops
>Judges-for-hire
>Poor correctional facilities
>Clogged dockets
>Dragging indictment of cases
>63% of lawyers, 53% of judges are DISSATISFIED with the selection process for appointees to the Judiciary (SWS,2005)
>Failures in rule implementation extend to the Police:
>PNP has a -42 net sincerity rating vis-à-vis its ability to fight corruption, one of the lowest in the public sector (2005 Survey of Enterprises on Corruption)

IV. An Elite Congress…
>Congress serves as a bastion of great wealth and privilege
>Clans and dynasties comprise Congress, diminishing functions of popular representation
>In 1992, the average net worth of representatives from the Lower House was P8 million; By 2001, it was P22 million.
>In the Senate, the average net worth increased from P33 million in 1998 to P59 million in 2001; As of 2004, a quarter of all senators have a net worth of above P100 million.
>…Meanwhile, the average Filipino is middle-aged, insufficiently educated, with an annual income of PhP150,000 (as of 2000)

V. Graft and corruption
>ADB: Philippines is one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
>Almost PhP22 billion is lost to corrupt public procurement transactions
>Ombudsman: RP lost US$48 billion over 20 years due to corruption
>For every peso spent on public services, 30-50 centavos is lost to corruption.

VI. An Elite Congress…
>PCIJ: 12th Congress is the least representative and most unproductive
>1st Congress (1946-1949) passed 428 bills, budget of PhP15.11 million
>6th Congress (1965-1969) most efficient with 1,481 bills passed, budget of P157.89 million
>12th Congress (2001-2004) passed only 76 bills with a budget of PhP11.23 billion
>In 2002, taxpayers spent Php 939,472.47 every month on each Senator and Php
429,601.79 on each House Representative.


Graft and corruption:
>TAG 4th Qtr Survey: More than 80% of Filipinos think that Corruption is wrong “because it hurts national development”
>In October 2004 only 54% of Filipinos perceived corruption to have ill effects on national development
>Only 19% of Filipinos think Corruption wrong “due to its immorality.”

BAD POLITICS AND CRISIS OF DISTRIBUTION:
>Primacy of Politics
>Use of government authority in the distribution of goods, services and values throughout society
>Crisis of Distribution
>Bad governance + Stifled development = Crisis of distribution

Traditional Politics:
>Skewed and biased patterns of power sourcing and its eventual disposition
>Results from patronage, undemocratic, uncivil construction of power structures and relations
>Largely arbitrary and elitist

Bad governance:
>Errant decision-making and distorted public policies
>Promotes exclusion not inclusion, confusion not transparency, abrogation not accountability and divisiveness not lasting cooperation
>Stifled development
>Skewed power relations and errant patterns of decision-making limit the chances of the majority to access welfare, obtain choices, and gain representation
>60% of Filipinos are not satisfied with their economic condition
>In 2000, around 32 million Filipinos live with less than PhP38 per day
>By 2004, 36 million Filipinos have a disposable income of PhP25 per day
>The richest 10% of Filipinos have 24 times as much wealth as the poorest 10%
>….Damaged institutions paralyze government’s distributive mechanisms
>Bad politics leads to bad governance…
>Bad governance impairs development…
>Bad governance, bad development causes a crisis of distribution… or
>Massive Poverty

VII….What needs to be done?
>Institutional reforms
>We need to UNLOCK solutions
>REORGANIZE our state institutions
>REALIGN our basic priorities
>RECONFIGURE our political and economic system
>ENSURE distribution of goods and services to the greater majority of our People

A Call for Fundamental Change …
During these trying times

(1) We need to pursue a Government that will provide a Clear Vision, propos
Fresh Ideas and Innovative Solutions to our national problems; and a
Direction of Reform that can unite our people;

(2)Political Leaders that can build consensus on the urgency of reform and one that is independent of vested political and economic interests in order to sincerely and effectively pursue urgent Governance Reforms; and

(3) A Coalition of Political Forces that will heed our people’s call – which is to put the interests of the nation above all other ideological and personal gains and ambitions.

Institutional Reforms:
>Autonomy of Public Institutions From Dominant Political and Economic Interests
>Focus Scarce Resources on the Delivery of Basic Needs and address past Social Imbalances
>Rationalize and Restructure the Philippine State to ensure a unified, integrated and leaner public service
>Institutionalize Participatory Governance
>Ensure Genuine Democratization: a Facilitative rather than Controlling State Framework; and
>Create a Culture of Integrity; Responsiveness; Transparency and Accountable in the Public Service

….The end view
>We must develop a kind of politics and governance based on dialogue, consensus, and collaboration
>We must engender a politics of VISION, IDEALS and CONVICTION
>Philippine politics must be freed from the claws of powerful individuals and vested group



Source:Activist School "Role of Institution lecture:"
Prof. Dindo Manhit
Managing Director
Stratbase, Inc.
May 22, 2006,
Mary House of Prayer,
Antipolo City

- Doy Cinco