The requiem of the Democratic Politics: the political observation of

the 2016 election in Philippines

2014 master's degree, JNU, Zhang Fan

Preface
The completion of this article is because I April 2016 25 to 4 July 29, five days of
Jinan University academic activities, by participating in a series of activities,
including visiting Chinese Cemetery, China Town, CENPEG, having round table with
the professors and scholars in the Chinese Youth Federation, UP, ADMU, CBCP. And
aslo what I saw and heard increased my understanding the political and cultural life of
human in the Philippines. It was just a few days before the election on the eve of
Philippines, so I will be based on the observation of the way to focus on the political
election in Philippines, 2016.
Chat, chat with different Filipinos I one thing I am keen to do after I came to the
Philippines. Probably the taxi culture throughout the world have in common, both in
the capital city Manila or in the capital city of Beijing, taxi drivers all are proficient in
astronomy, geography, and still get political for chitchatting. A taxi driver who
support Rodrigo Duterte during this presidential election chatted with me:"I will put
my vote for Walter, he is not a democrats, but a communist, democracy in the
Philippines bad." Obviously, the drivers ideas of democracy and communism is some
kinds of misunderstanding, but the birth of ordinary voters this kind of rhetoric is
quite worthy of pondering. The incorrect views of a person often implied by his
experience, urging undercurrent of disappointment and expectations of his heart. I
smiled and did not followed his words. The taxi travelled slowly in the crowded lane
in Manila. It nearly took 40 minutes for four kilometer distant. I looked up to see the
hanging wires from the overpasses bridge, the wires like the thick vines truncated the
dazzling sunshine along the taxi window.
The birth of the Philippines president
In many people's minds, the presidential election in the Philippines and the US
presidential election are pretty much the same. Because now the Philippines society
everywhere were influenced by the United States. There are so many things that
monkey see monkey do and things instead of following it without change in the

Philippine. For instance, the nu Filipino took the the United States electoral system
for granted of the election system in Philippine.But in fact, the Philippines and the
United States electoral system exist many differences, and even can be said that the
Philippine electoral system is quite simple compared to the US one. In short, every
voter can vote. The ballot which printed with the president, vice president and other
important positions and voters write down the candidates names followed the blank
of the name of positions. When finished it, the ballot is valid. On the day of election,
every province statistics the total number of votes, then the summation of the votes of
each province to draw candidates for each position of the highest number of votes and
the candidate will win the election. Unlike the American founding pioneers who had
careful consideration, the Philippine election system does not has the designation such
as the United states like preventing contain abuse of the government power, to ensure
that each province in the power of Parliament relatively fair. From this perspective,
the Philippine election nearly achieve the at large election, means every citizen can
vote. It seems that everyone can voice for himself. This make the Filipinos have a
false illusion of democracy and freedom. Like the carriages that fallen scattered in the
Fort Santiago Intramuros, the thin horses which eyes were covered to go forward
strides. But in the horses mind is likely to think that this is under their own control to
take a step. Actually the essence reason is the driver behind the carriage. There is
another different between the Philippine and American election system. In the United
States, the president who won the election can appoint vice president in order to have
a better governance of the government and to have a good way to improve the
government functions. But the Philippines is in accordance with the one person one
vote to elect the vice president who has the supreme votes, not by the president
appointed. So the Philippines president and vice president may come from two
different political parties. Then there creates a problem of reality, how do the the
president and vice president that coming from different political party to cooperate? In
the history of election campaign in the Philippines, politic party is not a very
important factor, there is a weak party system system in the Philippine political
campaign. The president and the vice president can achieve the a cooperation under a
consideration of the realistic political considerations. Overall, the vice president in the
Philippine play a relatively minor role.
During the presidential election, the Philippines like a country shrouded in a festive
atmosphere. all kinds of political propaganda paintings posted on the side of the road,
wire rod, Jeepney, hawkers carts, beverage packaging, tramp housing decoration,
wire, any places in your eyesight. Candidates like stars hurrying went to different
places for speech and propaganda. Even Miriam Santiago who was evaluated by
outside media that she just focus on participation, when she went to the college for
speech, the students are so excited which like they are going to enjoy a concert. They
are wearing the T-shirt that printed Miriams head picture, they shouted slogans at the
venue hand in hand. And sometime the students eyes run over with tears. Also there
is no lack of the other candidate's supporters in this big party. In such a temporary
isolated environment different candidate's supporters happy enjoy a short collective
madness sensory journey. When finished all of this, dust is dust, Soil return to the soil,
all things back to usual. The voters never change their mind, whether vote for Miriam
or not is undecided. The style of political campaign has elevated to the entertainment
and created entertainment idols. It was amazing the serious presidential debate
program has the same function with other ordinary TV programs which
manufacturing happyness and creating of business. In the television and the internet
there are not non-stop campaign MV. In general, it can be completely using the word

crudely fabricated to described sharply. Some of the tunes of MV using DJ music

repeat monotonously. Young actors who wearing bright clothes kept swinging support
the whole video. Most propaganda video using Tagalo language. Nowadays, the
Philippine is still a big agricultural country, the voter of low education level in
proportional more than 70%. This kind of lively non-English campaign advertising
undoubtedly cater to the taste of the Philippines most of the middle and lower classes.
Mr. Milo Disdor of SLU, Philippine mentioned that "elections in the Philippines is a
plurality system. Political elites try to influence the willling of lower-classes people."
In the Philippines, he typical characteristics of the politics is family politics and elite
politics. Almost every province has several fixed family name, nearly 200 Philippine
political family constitute the political family dynasty which is enduring. Here, the
one who has a little understand of politics of the Philippines may believe the mass
voter have no ideas about the candidates so they will follow their father or
grandfathers ideas to vote just because of some familiar feeling of the family names.
This is really the a kind of imagination of voters unreasoning and blindness of the
democracy in the Philippines. The reality in the Philippine election will be a little
more complicated. One of the main factor which influence the voters decision should
be considerate is social ethnicity group. Social ethnic group is slightly larger than the
family and slightly smaller than the class. It is an entity constituted by the
comprehensive elements such as social class, income, education background, political
tendency etc. Therefore under the influence of society ethnic group in the Philippine,
the voters will follow their votes to the social ethnic group that they belong to. Voting
for one candidate is not related to the voters family olders choice. So in one family,
the members will vote for different election candidate.
The populist in the bud
The political propaganda posters of every Philippines province, a handful of
candidates will braid their image as a hero such as wearing the costume of superman
or Robin Hood, pretend themselves as another person. No matter how simple this
packaging technique, there is always brought by a lot of voters. In the Philippines, the
lower classes of population accounts for the majority of society, they busy for
livelihood everyday and have no time, no ability to do in-depth thinking. Therefore,
what the presidential candidate molded themselves into the image actually make a
deep influence on the poetrys attitudes and perceptions. Take Duterte for example, he
give an impressive to the lower classes people as a image who are dare to fight against
criminals and make ironed governance. This image give a strong catatonic for the
poor Filipino who are disappointment of the fail political governance by the
government. Several college students expressed this kind of idea during our
discussion: "we need a jagged president." Once I heard of such remarks, it comes
from a passenger in the victory liner:Once Duterte come into power, the tomb market
must be a very profitable business, and many criminals will go to die, they must go to
die." Its 6:00 am in Manila, the sun has already weaken, the bus station has few
people and it likes a passenger who did not fall asleep through the whole the dark
night, it reluctantly turned over its head and brace oneself up loath, fearing the pale
sunshine burns its eyes. The passenger who use easy to ridicule wanted to continue
the conversation, I flick waved to interrupt him, and motioned that I would like to
sleep for a while.
Why Duterte can become the idol among the lower classes people in the Philippines.
The psychological analysis methods proposed by Jacques Lacan, and the American
sociologist Christopher Lasch who given the name of culture of narcissism seem to

give the phenomenon an explanation. It was used to analyses the teen idol worship,
but due to the lower classes people and the teenagers both have the chaotic state in the
individual consciousness, so it can also to use analyses the Duterte workshop. In the
lower classes, the people workshop Duterte is just because Duterte himself is the selfidentity of the lower classes people in the Philippine. Idolatry is the first stage of
formation of self consciousness. The voters through the pieces of information to learn
about the candidates and make the self image in tho the idol image through imaginary
order and symbolic order. So the image of idol like the reflection in the mirror of the
lower classes, and this process can make the people feel the integrity and unity of
themselves. The tough and resolute attitude of Duterte give the illusion of seize the
power to the lower classes people. And this illusion inspired their good imagination
for the future, the most important thing is this kind of good future can be real through
their own votes. But the trend of populism revealed by the supporters of Duterte,
neglectful will slip into the tyranny of the majority. When leaving the station of
Victory liner, I catch a glimpse to the election campaign posters of Duterte on the wall
of the street, I deeply look his eyes through the window. His inexplicable face
continue gaze the stream of people and vehicles, with beautiful sunlight, disappeared
in my gaze which.
A general election in destiny
Theres a conversation between I and Sir Milo, and then Ma'am Segundo who study
socialogy and Maam Abordo who is interest in history join us. I will always
remember the little office that has the Tagalo Mountain style, this kind of conversation
communicated by minds and wisdom make me feel sober and peaceful. When talking
about the difference between this yeas election and the former ones, these three
intellectuals excited firstly. Sir Milo said no again and again with a wry smile. Ma'am
Segudo pointed to a special printed press which has a ironic election cartoon with a
exaggerated and vivid expression, while she was in pace, she said:look at the comics,
Poe is like a dog as carried by Marcos. Maam Abordo smiled, afford for thought.
These middle classes of the Philippine Society showed their helpless and irony when
they facing the presidential election campaign things happened in the Philippine. One
one hand, it reflects the limited influence of the intellectuals from the middle classes
in this election, and on the other hand it show the intellectuals concerns to the future
destiny of their country, the responsibility and mission of intellectuals arises
spontaneously and also, including their conscience of intellectuals. However, this can
not against the history of family control in the Philippine politics. the Philippine
political campaign under the Family control has not escaped the fate of
transmigration. These bad candidates always has the shadow from the past presidents
of the Philippines. The black horse presidential candidate, Duterte who has the highest
votes at this time looks like former Estrada. They both claimed for the poor and
promise to eliminate corruption. Also these two people both were mayor before the
election. Currently, the third ranked is Binet who is like the former Arroyo. Grace Poe
is just like her actor father and has the shadow as Aquino. And still Miriam, the lady
who has a noble status in the academia, at the bottom of the rankings, seem can only
participated during the campaign. And every candidate has some major defects.
Dutertes unpredictability, the disordered private life, and carnage criminals. Binet
and Rojas who has political corruption and failed of government governance. Still, the
immature of Grace Poe because of her short political ages.Sometimes historical
change need great courage to break the permanent path in the past, while the
revolutionist should maintain own internal clean at the same time. Writing to here, the

hero of the Philippine, Jose Rizal, his jumped into my mind. But there is no doubt, the
candidate who has plausibility to be the future president of the Philippine, does he or
she be able to fulfill his campaign promises, which is always a question mark. Raise
the level of the Philippine economy, promote land and agricultural reform, fight
against corruption, to improve the living environment of overseas workers, solve the
southern separatist and so on, will be test of each presidential candidate. Walk in the
early morning of Manila Bay, the homeless people sleeping on the shore, some of
them with posters of candidates as a cushion, some treated the posters as a quilt. Still
there are few homeless who has the dexterous hands using the election posters to
wave into small handicraft that hanging in their subsistence carts. Some of them sleep
alone, some wake up with their lover, welcome coexistence of the dirty and beauty of
the bay. An old woman burst through the dirty sea water, scoop some clean water to
clean her face carefully. There is no lack of the happy homeless to say hello the the
visitors. They are drown by the democratic political posters, but it seems that they are
far, far away from the democratic politics. At that time, I thought about a taxi driver
who drop out of school because he can not afford the study tuition, he said:One day,
if you return to the Philippines, maybe you can see our traffic becomes not so
crowded, we don't have a lot of homeless, we have no pollution and poverty. If the
Virgin Mary downcast her eyes, stare the creatures softly, hope she can see, theres a
white cross hanging in front of the taxi drivers mirror.
Election trend
To analyze who will eventually win the Philippine political campaign, before the
election results come out, no one can be sure to make the predictions. New Gramscian
school tried to the integrity the level of the country and society, politics and economy
and international and domestic, hoping to use a new vision to explain some social
phenomenon. Cox, the representative of the school built a new historical structure
analysis, using three elements ideas material and institute to analyses the areas of
social, country and human activities. Using this theory to analysis the political
election in Philippines also provides a new perspective to explore the prediction. Take
the ranked top two in the current election Grace Poe and Rodrigo Duterte for
example. When Poe was born, she is an abandoned child at the church door in Iloilo
city, than She is the adopted daughter of actors Susan Roces and Fernando Poe, Jr.
She studied in UP and transferred to Boston College in the United States to finished
her bench degree. Her election platform including these things, be alert to the US, and
cooperate with China and ASEAN to resolve the dispute over the sea. From the
aspects of improving employment and energy supply situation of Mindanao. Cultivate
a more powerful economic and military modernization of the country, strengthen the
bargaining power of Philippines, in order to resolve international law and
international disputes. And Duterte is among the longest-serving mayors in the
Philippines and has been mayor of Davao City, known for his zero-tolerance policies
against criminals, he earned the nickname "The Punisher" and Davao City, known as
the "Southeast Asia's most peaceful city". He put forward various policy agenda, his
attitude is tough, and often boasted. For example, claimed that he will sperate
Palawan in half, a part rent to the United States and wait the US and China can fight
for it. In three to six months,to end the problem of corruption, drugs and crime. In
contrast, this two candidates all have ideas and material capabilities, if not to discuss
the difference and size of influence, only compared with the element of institute.
Obviously, Grace Poe has more cultural hegemony. It is only a perspective of analysis
the election of this year in the Philippine. Only wait to the calendar across the 9th,

May, we look back to this analysis, whether it is correct or not, it can be regarded as a
reverse proof.
Unfinished
Manila, a city exposures to the traces of Spanish,, an old Spanish song with a Celtic
Style Memoria Da Noite emerged in my ears again and again,
Volverei, volverei vida cando rompa a luz nos cons
porque ns arrancamos todo o orgullo do mar
non nos afundiremos nunca mis
que na ta memoria xa non hai volta atrs
With the surf and bagpipes, the long, deep voice of the female singer seems to ask in
the helpless and hopeless: how we could do, how to do to make this piece of land to
return to the past, return to the past. It likes a requiem of democratic politics, indicates
the Philippines future of the national country where to go.