EDITORIAL - Flawed democracy

Democracy in this country has long been dysfunctional, with the institutions necessary to make the system work still needing strengthening 36 years after people power toppled Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship.

So it’s no surprise that the country has been classified as a “flawed democracy” in the latest global index drawn up by the UK-based research group Economist Intelligence Unit. In its Democracy Index 2021, the EIU ranked the Philippines 54th out of 167 countries.

It was a one-spot improvement for the Philippines from the previous year, from a score of 6.56 to the latest 6.62. Amid efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, the EIU noted an “unprecedented withdrawal” of civil liberties worldwide, both in developed democracies and authoritarian regimes.

In Southeast Asia – a region not known for democratic ideals – the Philippines ranked ahead of Singapore, which placed 66th; Thailand, 72nd; Vietnam, 131st; Cambodia, 134th; Laos, 159th, and Myanmar, at 166th place just ahead of Afghanistan at the bottom, displacing North Korea. But the Philippines still trailed Malaysia, which placed 39th, as well as Timor Leste, 43rd, and Indonesia at 52nd.

Norway topped the global index, followed by the other “full democracies” New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark. The EIU noted that while Western democracies employed a technocratic approach to managing the COVID pandemic, weaker democracies and authoritarian regimes tended to resort to coercion.

A full democracy, apart from having civil liberties and political freedoms respected, is also characterized by effective governance and a political culture that works for the greater good rather than the interests of a tiny ruling class.

Nearly four decades since the Philippines emerged from a dictatorship, democracy remains fragile, with the institutions necessary for its effective functioning still needing strengthening. The pandemic has complicated the push for long-needed reforms.