Radical reforms a must for next administration – think tank

MANILA, Philippines — Radical reforms have to be implemented by the next administration to undo the damage wrought by decades of personality-based governance practiced in the country, according to an expert from the Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute (Stratbase-ADRI).

In his presentation of his special paper titled “Lessons and prospects in Philippine political governance: cutting across regimes from Marcos to Duterte,” Rizal Buendia, a Philippine country expert of the Global V-Dem Institute of the University of Gothenburg and a non-resident fellow of the Stratbase-ADRI, asserted that the radical structural, political and even electoral reforms could address decades of personalistic governance blamed for the corrosion of political institutions in the Philippines, leading to sure decay if not addressed.

“Philippine governance has divided national and local government along lines of personal, organizational and political interests that consequently endangered national unity and nationhood,” Buendia said in his study presented at an online forum organized by the think tank last April 28.

In his paper, Buendia analyzed governance under seven presidents spanning more than 50 years in terms of transparency and accountability, electoral politics, political party system, political participation and populist politics.

The study yielded several conclusions: first, that the lengthy absence or inadequate mechanism and national policies in addressing transparency and accountability has not controlled nor resolved corruption in government; second, that the country’s political institutions have been corroded by personality-based governance; third, that the party system has been weakened by dynastic and clan-based electoral politics and non-principle/ideological based political parties; fourth, that political participation has been hijacked by patronage politics and elitism; and lastly, that populist politics has threatened and restricted democratic rule.

“We need an enlargement of social and political structures and institutions that encourage the amplification of democratic rule,” Buendia said.

He added that country needs policies that bolster a transparent and accountable government to address graft and corruption.

Another is a need for a mass-based electoral system to “reduce and neutralize the power of the elite, the privileged, and the powerful.”

The country also needs a resilient multiparty system based on platforms, programs, principles and ideologies to fortify representative democracy; and the institutionalization of holistic governance to thwart and impede the fragmentation of society.

Buendia underscored that the Philippine political party system is marked by the absence of any discernible ideological or philosophical differences between political parties, making party-switching or “turncoatism” a common feature of Philippine politics.

He said that over the decades, populism has been bred by the continuing failure of governance and unrelenting corruption, sustained elitism in political systems, problems of peace and order, poverty, injustice and concentration of power in the central government.

The expert noted a curious feature of politicians as having the ability to project themselves as anti-elite, even when they are very much part of the economic and political elite.

“They have become adept at associating themselves with the hopes and desires of the poor,” Buendia said.

For Stratbase ADR Institute president professor Victor Andres Manhit, the need for a forward-looking governance outlook will remain, whoever wins the election.

“I would argue that it should be three-pronged, anchored on the collaboration of government, private sector and civil society,” Manhit said.

“Institutional government reforms must be future-oriented and strategic,” he added.

Manhit underscored the crucial exercise of choosing the country’s next leaders well.

“We need to demand transparency, accountability and integrity in government. We should consider the character and capacity of those wooing our vote,” he said.