Ninoy’s impossible dream

Thirty-five years after the assassination of Sen. Ninoy Aquino, has his dream of building a republic on the principles of liberal democracy reached a similarly bloody conclusion?

The era in Philippine politics from 1986 to 2016, bookended by two Aquino presidencies, was meant to deliver a stable democracy. Yet, what we find today is very far from it.

Uneven development, creating large disparities in wealth, a multiethnic society, and a geographically dispersed population has made many question whether liberal democracy can work in the Philippines.

These doubts have created two camps, each emphasizing an aspect of liberal democracy at the expense of the other. On the one hand are the pro-Duterte groups (“ka-DDS”), which veer toward illiberal democracy. On the other are the “dilawans,” many of them under the Liberal Party, with their disdain for populism leaning toward undemocratic liberalism.

Two years into the Duterte presidency, the fears of many seemed to have materialized, with several thousand murders having taken place as part of his crackdown on illegal drugs. This has been coupled with the  intimidation of the press and prosecution of vocal critics.

The biggest worry is that, through constitutional change, President Duterte would extend his term beyond 2022. It could happen, since Mr. Duterte remains very popular. To his followers, he represents a circuit breaker to all that came before.

Following the 1986 Edsa People Power, democracy was reintroduced, but this simply restored old political families. The concentration of power made the state susceptible to manipulation by vested interest groups.

The media, which provided the citizenry with a common worldview, has now been supplanted by an army of pro-Duterte bloggers, alleging media bias in favor of “dilawan” ideology. Many of them belong to the post-Edsa generation.

Some senators sought to silence these new voices, branding them “fake news.” At the Senate hearings, it became clear how difficult it would be to regulate the market of ideas without curtailing freedom of expression.

A growing disdain for democracy was becoming apparent. The second Edsa revolt was an example. “Dilawans” in 2001 successfully unseated the then popularly elected president Estrada, and legitimized the power grab through the courts.

This undemocratic streak, which seeks to undo the people’s will, persists under Mr. Duterte. It creates a highly polarized world, where either party is paranoid over what the other might do to retain power.

But perhaps things are not as bad as they seem. Through the years, programmatic policies were put in place to address social needs. Free tuition at the tertiary level was introduced this year. Universal healthcare is gradually being phased in. Cash grants for the poor have been expanded.

Such programmatic policies are the antidote to populism. Instead of running to their padrino in times of need, citizens can rely on services rendered by a professional bureaucracy. This gives them chances to succeed in life. The assumption here is that public goods will be evenly spread across our regions, though that is not the case.

Local government units (LGUs) currently retain a portion of national taxes collected. To fund their expenditures, they need to augment this with local revenue sources. A poor locality will have limited capacity to raise such revenues to pay for its services.

A framework is needed to enable the national government to top up LGU revenues, so they may be able to provide services at the same standard as wealthier localities. Such a system is being proposed by the ruling PDP-Laban under a federal constitution, but it may also be devised under a unitary setup.

Only when programmatic policies are in place, and basic services equitably distributed, will the foundation for a stable liberal democracy be set.

This was the dream Ninoy pursued, and that ultimately cost his life. Many have shed their blood, sweat and tears pursuing the same. Let us not let their sacrifice be in vain. Let us reignite that indomitable spirit to help fulfill their dreams for our freedom and national wellbeing.

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Emmanuel Doy Santos, a policy analyst who dabbles in international development, runs the blog and YouTube channel The Cusp PH and tweets as @cusp_ph.