Multi-Party System in the Philippines

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Multi-Party System in the Philippines

A multi-party system is a method of governance in which citizens have the freedom to form political parties, which can run for various political offices and control government offices either as individual parties or as coalitions of parties. The Philippines has a multi-party system. Parties in the Philippines include Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party, and the Liberal Party of the Philippines, among others. The multi-party system works as follows: political parties represent various ideologies. Citizens align themselves with parties whose ideology appeals to them with the belief that those parties will push for their interests through representatives elected under those parties. Political parties act as a link between the government and the citizens.

In the Philippines, political parties are formed, funded, and run by elites with interests in politics and business. As such, they ensure that those nominated to vie for various positions are people who will look after their interests. When they get elected, they look after the interests of the elites instead of the interests of the citizens. In most cases, the interests of the elites are contrary to the interests of the citizens. Party ideologies matter no more. They are there on paper, but not in practice. The elites run political parties in a manner that suits their interests. Instead of representing the interests of the people, political parties end up being used as tools to further the agenda of a few elites.

To some elites, political parties are simply vehicles to get to various positions in government. This leads to parties working very hard to win votes, which may require a lot of financing. Some political parties turn to corrupt financing in order to fund their activities (Co, Tigno, Lao, & Sayo, 2005). When party nominees get elected, they have no use for political parties. The people of the Philippines end up not getting proper political representation because elites form political parties to look out for their interests instead of the interests of the people (Weissenbach, 2010).

References

Co, E. E., Tigno, J. V., Lao, M. E., & Sayo, M. A. (2005). Philippine Democracy Assessment: Free and Fair Elections and the Democratic Role of Political Parties. (F. E. Stifung, Ed.)

Weissenbach, K. (2010). Political Parties and Party Types – Conceptual Approaches to the Institutionalization of Political Parties in Transitional States: The Case of the Philippines. Makati City: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

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