Is PH still a democracy?

National elections are among the few remaining democratic exercises. Though throughout Philippine history, elections have been marred by fraud, cheating and violence, and by elitism and dynastic monopolies, still people go out and cast their votes, hoping for some change. People may be cynical about elections—some participate as a matter of custom, but many are deeply pessimistic, even totally resigned to elitist rule for the rest of their lives.

Groups that are willing to educate the public and constituents about elections and how elections could be protected, defended and promoted should therefore be appreciated. To name a few, Kontra Daya, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, and Pagbabago People’s Movement for Change have painstakingly crafted materials, organized discussion groups and sharply articulated the historical, social and economic context of elections. They do not endorse candidates, they only propose criteria to help voters choose their leaders.  With limited resources, they do this for love of country, and they are serious about their vision of a Philippine nation fully enjoying and engaged in democracy.

Rep. Neri Colmenares at one time said that only during elections when “lumuluhod ang mga tala (the stars kneel down).”  The powerful and the trapo (a pun on traditional politicians likened to rags)—those who are snooty and snobbish, bossy and arrogant, the siga-siga (oppressors) and the maton (bullies)—suddenly make themselves accessible to the masses and pretend to have the masses’ concerns in their hearts.

But lo and behold, the mighty source code is not yet in the hands of Commission on Elections. The April 27 Inquirer editorial stated that “the source code… lays out the instructions for how the PCOS machines should count and canvass votes. The problem is that Smartmatic and Dominion are at loggerheads over money—$10 million which, Dominion says, Smartmatic owes it for the use of the technology. The source code is with Dominion’s party reviewer SLI Global Solutions in Denver, Colorado, which has refused to release the source code without Dominion’s permission.”

Are Philippine elections in the hands of private, foreign capitalists?  Has our electoral process become an outright mockery? Are we captives even in our own land?

If our elections could be controlled by foreign-business powers, how could we even expect that the elections would be fair, honest, transparent and credible? The holder of the mighty source code is acting like an “almighty one” who is beyond accountability.

At least in Church teachings, there is a school of thought proposing that offenders and liars go to hell. And so it must be asked of those into whom the authority, power and responsibility for the proper conduct of elections have been vested: “Where would people go if these foreign entities mess with our democracy?” What has President Aquino to say on this matter. We are eagerly waiting to hear from him.

—NORMA P. DOLLAGA,

Kapatirang  Simbahan Para sa Bayan

(Kasimbayan), [email protected]