The Filipino people, once again, are being asked to go to the polls to elect their legislators and

local government officials. We welcome this exercise because electing the people who will craft
and implement national and local policies is very much part of democracy.

Unfortunately, the democratic essence of this electoral exercise is eroded in many places by
dynastic politics, the guns-and-gold patronage politics by elite families to keep them in power.
Moreover, the electoral exercise has failed—so far—to enlighten the people about the root
causes of the social and economic problems and the policy choices and remedies needed to
address these maladies. The present electoral campaign is reduced to hollow debates on who
can deliver better public services despite the glaring reality that the country is in need of bold
systemic changes on various fronts of governance: economic, social, environmental and
political. This is aggravated by corrupt vote buying by the rich candidates and the failure of
Commission on Elections to require the candidates to sort out in concrete details how promises
of better governance and performance can be achieved through a clear platform of change,
meaning a development program that alters the status quo and the monopoly hold of a few on
the country’s wealth.