ORLANDO CARVAJAL.
Democracy may have been restored nominally during the administration of the late Corazon Aquino, but there was no doubt the anti-Marcos faction of the oligarchy were ruling from behind her throne. According to Carvajal, “these political lords were as authoritarian as authoritarian can be and didn’t bother with subtlety in imposing their will on all aspects of people’s lives.” He pointed out that at the next election, all factions of the oligarchy resumed cheating and buying their way into high office making a mockery of democracy. So what is Senator Pangilinan talking about when he contends that democracy is deteriorating under Duterte, Carvajal would like to know?
Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, presumably speaking for his faction (Liberal Party) of the oligarchy, contends that democracy is deteriorating under President Duterte. But what is he talking about when there never was a democracy worth its name to start with?
The late Corazon Aquino, as events would prove later, restored democracy only nominally as she could not keep the anti-Marcos faction of the oligarchy from ruling from behind her throne. These political lords were as authoritarian as authoritarian can be and didn’t bother with subtlety in imposing their will on all aspects of people’s lives.
At the next election, all factions of the oligarchy resumed cheating and buying their way into high office making a mockery of democracy. Once in office they used their political power mainly and exclusively (hence undemocratically) to protect and advance their interests, leaving little people poor and dependent on the false generosity of their political patrons.
They were also corrupt as corrupt can be and stole people’s money just as effectively with forked tongue and political sleight of hand as Marcos did with high-powered guns. Their allies maintained private armies that killed with impunity because they controlled the courts, the police, mainstream media or otherwise had both political and economic clout to get out of any bad fix.
They allowed, as Duterte now makes us aware, the drug trade to become a major industry in this country and used their share of drug money to finance election campaigns that mocked the essential core of democracy, the institution of free elections. The policemen who are linked to drugs and most probably the ones responsible for murders that Senator Pangilinan and company blame on Duterte are products of their self-serving administrations.
Where then is the democracy they say is deteriorating? Past administrations have never allowed people more than token participation in government. They allowed poverty, criminality and corruption to worsen to a point where a well-meaning president could war against them only with extreme difficulty.
Thus, for the first time people refused to be bought and voted for a dark horse, an unknown quantity, as if to say they’ve had enough of the undemocratic and exclusive rule of political dynasties. Who would have thought Duterte could win against the total vote-buying capacity of Binay, Poe and Rojas?
Polls continue to confirm people are mainly (not absolutely like Dutertetards) happy with what Duterte is trying to do. But Yellowtards like Senator Pangilinan would rather not heed people’s voices and insist that democracy is deteriorating even as the polls are saying that people nevertheless feel it is finally beginning to work for them.