Philippines Senate Election 2019 - Democracy is dead!

[orions.belt19]

IMO, voter education should be promoted.

I once read an article about Socrates' view on democracy. Quote:

Socrates’s point is that voting in an election is a skill, not a random intuition. And like any skill, it needs to be taught systematically to people. Letting the citizenry vote without an education is as irresponsible as putting them in charge of a trireme sailing to Samos in a storm.

Even back then during the Ancient times, they encountered some problems with the democracy system and experienced some failure in their election. There were those who were wrongly charged because of this system and back then a wrong charge is fatal because hanging or death was the penalty.

And proper voter education does not pertain only to the uneducated or low class. You'd be surprised by the voter turnout among the elite.

To reiterate, I would like to quote what I have read from the article:

"We have forgotten all about Socrates’s salient warnings against democracy. We have preferred to think of democracy as an unambiguous good – rather than a process that is only ever as effective as the education system that surrounds it."
- source

[merchantofzeny]

What democracy? There never was a democracy. It has always been a feudal country. In some parts of Mindanao politicians even run unopposed coz the only politicians are from the same family, they just take turns in office. As the Ampatuans have shown, the sense of entitlement among the feudal lords is strong. This area in particular see more election violence than most regions. The warlords see it as their right to stay in office.

Up north people are actually less prone to viewing politicians like Divine Rights nobility unlike the Muslim areas but they are still no better electorate. They vote on name recall. Keeps complaining that nothing changes but their voting habits don't change at all.

Am actually always been disappointed with elections here. I go out of my way to research candidates, print out sample ballots for my family so they don't hold up the line in the polls, etc. Still the elections turn out harrowing and pretty much none of the people I chose make it to office and instead we get clowns like the Revillas.

[orions.belt19]

Can someone explain the pay-for-voting thing? I don't quite understand how it works, but it sounds like all (or most) voters receive somewhere between 500 and 4,000 pesos simply for voting.

All I know is my girlfriend got gipped out of her payment. She wasn't too happy about it. She also noticed that kids as young as 15 were being allowed to vote, and on top of that, she thinks the computer vote tracking systems were being manipulated. For reference, this is in Mindanao, Region X.

Yes, it's callled vote buying. During the campaign period or days before the election, candidates give out around 500 pesos to registered voters along with a sample ballot or list of who to vote for. Some were actually caught and arrested by the police, see in article. If you're wondering why there are people gullible enough to accept this is because 500 pesos goes a long way for some. For me, what's more surprising is the "mass or union voting of one religion wherein they require all the members of a church to vote for particular candidate/s.

Normally, kids as young as 15 years old are not allowed to vote but there has been alleged cheating within the Mindanao area where even those already dead were able to cast a vote. It has not been verified yet, however. There has been many speculations that the computer vote tracking systems were comprised because of the inconsistent reports and numerous faulty vote counting machines.

[darklus123]

That only proves that we do practice democratic acts (Not because you don't favor the result you are right and others are wrong) You can't also name call them. I also don't agree with some of the politicians that enters the top 12 but I respect other peoples point of view in life and that is how a democratic country look like.

Bong Go, Revilla, and Dela Rosa are the top surprises in this senate election. In fact these people are not good as senators. When Dela Rosa was interviewed, he said that if there would be some seminars on law making, he'll be down to that. HOW TF PEOPLE VOTED FOR A PERSON THAT DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO MAKE LAWS. And that's their job on our country. Revilla? So, the senate will be a dance show now? Because of dancing Budots he won. Just because he's handsome he won. Philippines will be dead now. That guy stole money from the country and those people still believes on this guy.

But credentials does not matter know. Remember in 1986 a housewife of a known presidentiable won.  .

That is right but at least he is being honest and he is willing to learn. It is not just about making a certain laws but it is all about creating a law that is followed. In the previous elections we have been voting a lot of lawyers but what have they done? Nothing and guess what they've been only getting the funds for their gains.


Stop under estimating people and stop being hypocrite, Look at what manny pacquiao have done in the senate? being the low class because of not having a high level of educational background. He has done more things than the other lawyers you people are talking about.


You do talk about sh*ts after looking at how they perform and for now shutting up your mouth and respecting their wins can be the very best thing you can do for your country.

[qwertyup23]

For me, what's more surprising is the "mass or union voting of one religion wherein they require all the members of a church to vote for particular candidate/s.

Ah, the classic religious persuading! I saw from the news that one of the major religious groups here in the Philippines started to endorse a list of candidates which in my opinion, are the worst from all the participants. Not only they endorsed candidates that are corrupt but also they included thieves, liars, and incompetent ones which are against what they are promoting for. They say that they uphold their 'morals and values' but their decision says otherwise.

Again, there is something called separation of the church and state but if the religious groups MANDATE their own members to vote for a particular list of candidates (which is for their best interest), then this is a clear violation.

That is right but at least he is being honest and he is willing to learn. It is not just about making a certain laws but it is all about creating a law that is followed. In the previous elections we have been voting a lot of lawyers but what have they done? Nothing and guess what they've been only getting the funds for their gains.


Stop under estimating people and stop being hypocrite, Look at what manny pacquiao have done in the senate? being the low class because of not having a high level of educational background. He has done more things than the other lawyers you people are talking about.


You do talk about sh*ts after looking at how they perform and for now shutting up your mouth and respecting their wins can be the very best thing you can do for your country.

Let me argue in the first paragraph: suppose you went to visit a hospital and ask for a prescription for your illness and then someone approaches you saying that he cannot give or prescribe anything BUT HE IS WILLING TO LEARN ABOUT IT. If honesty and the willingness to learn are the determining factor in order to get a spot in the legislative branch, then sign everyone up!

Let us now talk about Senator Pacquiao. I watched a video of him in the Senate arguing against Senator Drilon over the creation of a Philippine Boxing Commission. Hell, he cannot even answer the questions on his own! He has people coaching and whispering him at the back just to speak an answer to Drilon's remarks! I am not invalidating that Pacquiao is a bad guy but the question falls on competency. Oh yeah, do not forget the number of absences he already incurred in the Senate!

The point is, there are better and competent candidates on the list who were not given a chance due to the voting done by these people.

[sheenshane]

The point is, there are better and competent candidates on the list who were not given a chance due to the voting done by these people.

You are right, this is the reason why I never wanted to vote and get involved in the politics. There are too much information that will drain your mind. Before, the people are complaining about the corruption the country gets from the officials. Now, they are so much disappointed why a few of the people they expected not to be part of the list are elected.

I have read this statement from one of the most trending post about Bong Revilla. Bong Revilla always tops in the senatorial election. He has a great potential of having the votes of our people. And then, of course in the politics there are  a lot of group and divisions due to different perspectives and visions. This guy (Bong) published that he would like to run for a president. His competition was threaten with that and they knew there is a lot of chance that Vhong would win the presidential election. That is the time they did the best to ruin and make Bong's name dirty.

They filed a lot of criminal cases against this guy. Yet he proved that he is not guilty for all the cases thrown to him. Let's just see if this guy will clean his name as the senatorial officials now are so strong.

Duterte's best choice was by running and publishing his presidency in the later/last minute of registrations. The past winning group was shocked and never had a chance to ruin his name.

POLITICS WILL NEVER BE CLEAN. Its a cancerous lifestyle to be with that industry.

[bhabygrim]

Yes, it's callled vote buying. During the campaign period or days before the election, candidates give out around 500 pesos to registered voters along with a sample ballot or list of who to vote for. Some were actually caught and arrested by the police, see in article.

Oh, OK, so it is illegal. The way people talk about it so openly here you'd think it was legal.

If you're wondering why there are people gullible enough to accept this is because 500 pesos goes a long way for some.

Trust me, I'm well aware of it. The distribution of wealth here is jaw dropping and really depressing. A lot of people only make 150-200 pesos a day, which is enough to get one of the combo meals at Jollibee. Every politician should take a 50% paycut immediately.

For me, what's more surprising is the "mass or union voting of one religion wherein they require all the members of a church to vote for particular candidate/s.

Right, the "party lists." That's an odd concept that they don't have in America or much of the rest of the world, as far as I know.

Normally, kids as young as 15 years old are not allowed to vote but there has been alleged cheating within the Mindanao area where even those already dead were able to cast a vote. It has not been verified yet, however.

While my girlfriend was waiting in line to vote (for 6 hours) she saw several people who she knew were under 18 also in line to vote. Whoever official is in charge of the voting process can just declare the eligible to vote without having to do through a proper age verification requirement. Don't know anything about the dead people voting but it sounds equally as likely.

Of course vote buying is illegal ,
And I think it is not the first time since it is being talk openly in your area.
And ghost voting isn't new I think they should really investigate this kind of things ,
Just imagine how many votes did they use or add using the name of a dead person.

[peter0425]

It means the popularity is the one of the main ingredients for Filipinos when voting.  

That is why I argue that democracy cannot be integrated if that is the mindset of the majority of the voters in our country. If they are clueless about the history of every candidate as they base their votes solely on popularity and hearsay, I think that a democratic form of government would not fit. We can implement strategies in order to enlighten each voter but I still believe that this problem will exist.

So are you in favor of federalism being pushed by Duterte then? I think democracy has some flaw, but I don't know how will federalism will change the course of the Philippines or if voters will used their intelligence to pick the winners. But goodluck to the Philippines!!!.

[bisdak40]

While my girlfriend was waiting in line to vote (for 6 hours) she saw several people who she knew were under 18 also in line to vote. Whoever official is in charge of the voting process can just declare the eligible to vote without having to do through a proper age verification requirement. Don't know anything about the dead people voting but it sounds equally as likely.

It's frustrating to know that these things still happened out there in Mindanao. I've never been there, only heard on the news that some parts of it are still controlled by the warlords. Duterte has big plans for Mindanao in terms of peace and order but feuding warlords seems to disagree with each other. MNLF and MILF should prioritize first the welfare of it's people and not on who hold power on Mindanao. As an ordinary citizen of the republic, i find it very complicated on how to bring peace to the land of Promise.

[qwertyup23]

So are you in favor of federalism being pushed by Duterte then? I think democracy has some flaw, but I don't know how will federalism will change the course of the Philippines or if voters will used their intelligence to pick the winners. But goodluck to the Philippines!!!.

To be honest, I am actually clueless as to which kind of government the Philippine needs. That is why I am asking for suggestions and arguing the flaws over democracy. Imagine if federalism were to be implemented, every region has its jurisdiction, laws, and budget depending on their needs. Since the Philippines is geographically and ethnocentrically fragmented, Duterte is pushing federalism as the new type of government but I also believe that it will only bring more harm than good.

It's frustrating to know that these things still happened out there in Mindanao. I've never been there, only heard on the news that some parts of it are still controlled by the warlords. Duterte has big plans for Mindanao in terms of peace and order but feuding warlords seems to disagree with each other. MNLF and MILF should prioritize first the welfare of it's people and not on who hold power on Mindanao. As an ordinary citizen of the republic, i find it very complicated on how to bring peace to the land of Promise.

Unfortunately, even the recent signing of the Bangsamoric Basic Law, peace and order calls for Mindanao. Like what you mentioned, warlords are prominent and governing most of the local states there.

[darklus123]

Let me argue in the first paragraph: suppose you went to visit a hospital and ask for a prescription for your illness and then someone approaches you saying that he cannot give or prescribe anything BUT HE IS WILLING TO LEARN ABOUT IT. If honesty and the willingness to learn are the determining factor in order to get a spot in the legislative branch, then sign everyone up!

Let us now talk about Senator Pacquiao. I watched a video of him in the Senate arguing against Senator Drilon over the creation of a Philippine Boxing Commission. Hell, he cannot even answer the questions on his own! He has people coaching and whispering him at the back just to speak an answer to Drilon's remarks! I am not invalidating that Pacquiao is a bad guy but the question falls on competency. Oh yeah, do not forget the number of absences he already incurred in the Senate!

The point is, there are better and competent candidates on the list who were not given a chance due to the voting done by these people.

Why would compare being a doctor to a politician? A doctor needs a license while a being a senator doesn't. Therefore both position in the society are different, let me also remind you that Bato is a graduate of PMA (probably one of the prestigious military academy in the Philippines)

Therefore him probably making a psychological statement leads people to think that He is not capable and have forgotten his background.



You talking about pacman  2 years ago yes he might not be as good as the others but look at pacman right now.
https://www.facebook.com/MannyPacquiao/posts/bills-ive-authored-passed-into-law-arranged-per-date-of-passage-total-laws-passe/2033318463638836/

BILLS I’VE AUTHORED PASSED INTO LAW

Arranged per date of passage
Total laws passed – 12
- as principal author – 1
- as one of the principal authors – 7
- as co author – 4

Waiting for President’s signature – 3
- as principal author – 2
- as one of the principal authors - 1

-AS PRINCIPAL AUTHOR-

1. NATIONAL BIBLE DAY
(Republic Act No. 11163)

2. SARANGANI SPORTS TRAINING CENTER
*waiting for President’s signature

3. OFW HANDBOOK
*waiting for President’s signature

-AS ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL AUTHORS-

1. ROAD BOARD ABOLITION
*waiting for President’s signature

2. EXPANDED MATERNITY LEAVE
(21 Feb 2019)

3. PHILIPPINE SPORTS TRAINING CENTER
(20 Feb 2019)

4. DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
(R.A. 11201, 14 Feb 2019)

5. QUANTITATIVE IMPORT RESTRICTIONS ON RICE
(R.A. 11203, 14 Feb 2019)

6. INCREASE IN MONTHLY OLD-AGE PENSION OF SENIOR VETERANS
(R.A. 11164, 20 Dec 2018)

7. PHILIPPINE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM ACT
(R.A. 11055, 6 Aug 2018)

8. FREE INTERNET ACCESS PROGRAM IN PUBLIC PLACES
(R.A. 10929, 2 Aug 2017)

-AS CO-AUTHOR-

1. UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE ACT
(20 Feb 2019)

2. CORPORATION CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES
(20 Feb 2019)

3. NATIONAL INTEGRATED CANCER CONTROL ACT
(R.A. 11215, 14 Feb 2019)

4. PHILIPPINE HIV AND AIDS POLICY ACT
(R.A. 11166, 20 Dec 2018)



-MAnny Pacquiao

The most incompetent senator you have ever seen in your life have done a lot of work for the past years. For me that is still a good job proving his capacity is not a hindrance of doing his job properly and improving at the same time. A good example would be Leni Robredo 



As I have told , I also don't fully agree with the entire result of senatorial election but you have to respect what the people have decided. Most of the Filipinos are sick and tired of having the most competent politicians doing nothing on the senate plus being corrupt. We know that there are people who are actually more deserving than others like Glenn Chong and Willie Ong but again it is all about respecting other people's point of view.

[Mometaskers]

So are you in favor of federalism being pushed by Duterte then? I think democracy has some flaw, but I don't know how will federalism will change the course of the Philippines or if voters will used their intelligence to pick the winners. But goodluck to the Philippines!!!.

To be honest, I am actually clueless as to which kind of government the Philippine needs. That is why I am asking for suggestions and arguing the flaws over democracy. Imagine if federalism were to be implemented, every region has its jurisdiction, laws, and budget depending on their needs. Since the Philippines is geographically and ethnocentrically fragmented, Duterte is pushing federalism as the new type of government but I also believe that it will only bring more harm than good.

It's frustrating to know that these things still happened out there in Mindanao. I've never been there, only heard on the news that some parts of it are still controlled by the warlords. Duterte has big plans for Mindanao in terms of peace and order but feuding warlords seems to disagree with each other. MNLF and MILF should prioritize first the welfare of it's people and not on who hold power on Mindanao. As an ordinary citizen of the republic, i find it very complicated on how to bring peace to the land of Promise.

Unfortunately, even the recent signing of the Bangsamoric Basic Law, peace and order calls for Mindanao. Like what you mentioned, warlords are prominent and governing most of the local states there.

@qwertyup23  That's what I foresee. This country has never been completely united anyway. If you split it back to its component regions then you'd see them each going their own way and maybe even challenging the federal government and demanding secession. I can totally see the Muslim areas going full Sharia, which would cause conflict with the federal gov't.

@bisdak40 Haha some idiot MILFer tried to throw a grenade at an outpost as their van passes by, the grenade went back in and exploded inside. This was during election day and I believe it was in Marawi. Shame the mofos didn't just die.

And we were signing ANOTHER agreement with these animals. Thing is no amount of concessions would fix that godforsaken place. The national government has been pumping money into it since the first agreement with the MNLF with nothing to show for.

It sounds racist but sometimes I think the people themselves are defective. You probably seen that commotion in an election spot (also in Marawi). These people are hotheaded, clannish and have a gun culture they bring wherever they migrate into other regions.

If this shithole is every gonna split up into multiple countries there should be a "repatriation" program to just keep everyone away from each other, like how India and Pakistan exchanged their Hindus and Muslims. Hopefully more peaceful though.

[kotajikikox]

Why some people says that democracy in the philippines is dead? Well for me is not.as long as people vote of what they want the democracy is still there.this is the law they have so people participate and follow the law they impliment.Philippines is a free counrty democracy is not dead

[ck343]

So, a country where the Midterm Elections are decided by CNN and the News Corporations, over there democracy is alive?