Ferdinand Marcos and the Philippines: The Political Economy of Authoritarianism by Albert F. Celoza

Author:Albert F. Celoza [Celoza, Albert F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2010-06-04T20:43:00+00:00

The situation seems to sit well with Marcos. The election proved beyond doubt the clout of the KBL under his absolute leadership. No opposition group appears to be in any position to challenge his leadership of government. Yet through the election he has been able to show that there exist opposition groups which can freely contest government candidates in popular elections."'

In a study of the evolution of Filipino political institutions, Raul de Guzman said: "For a martial law regime, elections are neither too serious an obstacle to overcome nor too difficult a concession to make." The battle for electoral positions was not going to be on an even keel because the power of the martial law regime was not limited. The regime had the power to make electoral rules and procedures, to place its own people in the Commission on Elections, to release the budget for offices, and development projects, and to persuade the media to its side. The Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) became the major, if not the only, political party to dominate whatever elections were conducted. The KBL afforded limited choice from among the candidates on its slate; for the people it became a matter of choice between voting for administration-supported KBL candidates or the weak opposition parties. Elections in the end did not turn out to be fair, honest, and decent competition among candidates for offices. The non-KBL candidates did not have an equal chance. The results of the elections were predictable: only KBL candidates won with a few exceptions. Elections became the legitimizing forum for the administration. It served the purpose of administration but failed in winnowing the qualified from the unfit.10

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