Why there is a need to elect opposition candidates in congress

By Y. A. Joey Tugung

Contributor

ELECTIONS in the Philippines has always been a binary choice for the electorates. As opposed to a parliamentary form of government, which is a multi-party system with multiple political parties across the political spectrum; in a presidential form of government, like ours, it’s predominantly a two-party system in which the electorates give its votes largely to only two major political parties i.e., the administration and the opposition. Generally, voters basically elect the candidates based on their party affiliation, or better still, their hatred of the other party. However, in the Philippines, due to our low level of political maturity, it comes with a political aberration i.e., the electorates do not vote by reason of the party’s platform, agenda and its position on certain major issues, but they are more driven on the personality of the candidates.  

The Hugpong ng Pagbabago and PDP-Laban are the administration parties, which supports President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration and his political, social and economic agenda. On the other hand, Otso Diretso, which is affiliated with the Liberal Party, is the opposition party. And in this election, both of these parties are fighting tooth and nail for the heart and soul of the Filipino nation. Like night and day, their campaign has taken contrasting position and plans on how, where and in what direction the country should proceed. The administration party seeks to continue the current policies and agenda of the Duterte Administration. In addition, it has a naked ambition, a political agenda to perpetuate power beyond 2022 (the end of PRRD’s term). The opposition party, on the other hand, their goal is to defeat this political scheme and most of the agenda of the administration.

For all the much bruited and ballyhooed successes that the Duterte administration has done for the country, we have to accept the fact that some of its current policies and agenda are not working. In fact, some are not merely disturbing but alarming as well, especially the administration’s rapprochement with China. China’s investment, credit and loans, which might potentially plunge the Philippines into a China-controlled debt trap (thereby potentially threatening Philippine sovereignty since the financial deals are debt-for-equity swap), including its unfettered intrusion in the West Philippine Sea, is one example. President Duterte’s war on drugs, crimes and corruption are both controversial and disconcerting. The administration’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure development program (at least worth P2.1 trillion or $2.2 billion of which 56 are funded with foreign loans mostly coming from China with Chinese contractors as the first bidder) and its economic agenda, which is socialist-populist in make-up, could potentially rile the economy.

To check, curb and correct the “excesses” of government power by the current administration (and any future administration for that matter), the Filipino nation has to have viable and legitimate opposition candidates in Congress. Otherwise, in the absence of checks and balances, which is the cornerstone of our democracy, the Duterte administration and his political party can certainly with impunity abuse its power and impose its political will, and thereby, further its controversial and potentially unpopular political, social and economic agenda, including its alarmingly budgetary deficit prone domestic socialist- populist policies and foreign loans infrastructure programs.  Simply put, sans opposition elected in Congress, it will spell the death of democracy and the birth of an authoritarian or a dictatorial presidency.

Supporting and electing opposition candidates by and of itself, do not necessarily mean that we support the Liberal Party, and by extension, former President Benigno Aquino III; and neither, does it signify that we want them to return to political power and take over the reigns of government in 2022. In fact, I have been a supporter of President Duterte, albeit I speak truth to power. What we simply need from the opposition candidates are their voices and votes on certain critical and major national issues e.g., national security, health, education, energy, agriculture, transportation, communication, infrastructure, charter change etc. Conducting investigations and oversight would indeed help to counter-balance any possible errant, controversial, disturbing and questionable policies, agenda and decisions by the Duterte administration.

If we are truly tethered to the political realities in our country, simple common sense dictates that there is a need for us to elect qualified and competent opposition candidates in the Senate and in the House of Representatives. I know we have been living in a highly-charged partisan environment – it’s always binary and adversarial. It’s either you are Pro-Duterte (aka DDS) or Anti-Duterte (aka LP or Yellowtards). However, as a matter of principle and our strong adherence and belief to our democratic values, the country still deserves to have an independent legislative body, as opposed to a “rubber stamp” Congress.

Filipinos are known to be a “thinking class.” Therefore, let’s use our democratic levers by voting certain qualified and competent opposition candidates to Congress in this election. This is the smartest thing to do!