The need for a Politics of Change

The need for a Politics of Change

Changelessness or the recurrence of old patterns appears to be a common theme in studies of Philippine politics since the fall of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986. Many political scientists have characterized the country's post-Marcos politics as merely being a return to the "elite" or "oligarchic" demorcacy of the pre-authoritarian era, all highlighting the continuing hold on economic and political power by an oligarchic elite

Political change in the country is next to impossible due to the almost insurmountable opposition of  the reigning power. The Philippine society, reduced to a “yessir” society by the oligarchic elite thru its control of the legislative,  judicial, the executive branches of the government and therefore of the armed forces. Any person of group of persons who preach changes in the system are at once branded as “enemies of the  state”, communist ort terrorists. Thus, the massive Human Rights violations and the accompanying impunity.  The people’s will are subjugated to  the will of the moneyed few. Democracy became a farce.

Has nothing really changed in the Philippine politics? Are there realistic prospects for substantive political and social change in the years ahead? The people’s hopes when they moved to remove authoriarism, ironically, was dashed when they choosed to install to power who they thought would lead them to Democracy. The “People’s Power revolution” was people’s revolution that was usurped by the elitists in returning to power, showing that Filipinos has yet to mature politically. Their move came to nothing but a ladder for the landed rich and big compradors’ to gain power and more power. The change they gained was from bad to worst.

The Spanish flexible racial tradition had resulted in a system based on ethnicity and class as determinants of social and economic structure, while the rigid U. S. racial tradition assigned race the more dominant role. The cultural affinity between the early individual American administrators and the Filipino elite, however, meant that class-based distinctions in the islands were not broken up. Thus, the extreme elitist character of the Philippines' economy and society persisted and became impervious to the influences which in other Asian countries led to a progressive weakening of elite structures as the 20th century advanced. (Mixed Blessing: The Impact of the American Colonial Experience on Politics and Society in the Philippines By Hazel M. Mcferson) 

It is, therefore, in order to achieve changes, the entire system has to be changed. The colonial attitude of the people has to be erased through changing the educational system. A genuine cultural and political revolution has to be done without returning to pre-authoritarianism regime characterized by the Philippine politics after the downfall of the Marcos dictatorship. The overthrow of the "elite" or "oligarchic" democracy has to be achieved. Then, and only then, could the Philippines could have the change needed to become a true free and democratic society.