Politics in the Philippines - Research Paper Example

?Politics in the Philippines Aquino, Benigno III President Benigno Aquino, III is the 15th president of the Republic of the Philippines. He is theson of former political activist Benigno Aquino, Jr. and former president Corazon C. Aquino (Senate of the Philippines). He comes from a long line of politicians with his great grandfather first serving in the Malolos Congress and his grandfather also serving in the Philippine Congress. His father Benigno Aquino, Jr. was elected senator in 1967 and was a major and active critic of the Marcos Administration (Encyclopedia Britannica). Benigno Aquino, III graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and after he graduated, he joined his family in exile in the United States (Senate of the Philippines). When his father was assassinated in 1983, he returned to the Philippines. He was later elected as Congressman, representing Tarlac province. He was reelected several times and in 2007 won a seat with the House of Senate (Encyclopedia Brittanica). On 2009, his mother Corazon Aquino passed away. By that time, the people of the Philippines were experiencing much dissatisfaction with the Arroyo Administration. President Corazon Aquino’s death revived feelings of the first Edsa Revolution which was also triggered by the people’s dissatisfaction with the government (Teves). A significant clamor for him to run for president in the upcoming elections was expressed by the people. A month after his mother’s death, he announced his presidential bid in the upcoming 2010 elections. On May 2010, after a landslide victory, he was elected as the 15th president of the Philippines (Teves). As soon as he was elected as President, he immediately expressed his vow to fight corruption in the country, declaring that there would be no poverty in the Philippines if there was no corruption (Sunstar). Since then, he has been firm in his anti-corruption advocacy, lambasting his predecessor and declaring her policies as causes of the poverty and hardships which the Philippines is experiencing. His government policies have focused on environmental protection, education (K-12 program), and reduction of real property taxes (Sunstar). Two years into his term has not provided clear results on his government programs and this has been a major source of criticism for the president. He has been accused of continually blaming the previous administration for the current state of the Philippines (Sunstar). He has also been accused of doing nothing, and the media has labeled his inactions as ‘Noynoying’ (Gamil and Aurelio). Being the first bachelor president of the Philippines, he has also been criticized for paying more attention to his romantic life. He has been known to date several women since his term started, and as yet, none of these romantic engagements have produced any significant relationships (GMA News). As president, he has maintained diplomatic relations with other countries. Recently however, the Philippines and China have been in a politically tense situation with the latter claiming territorial jurisdiction over Scarborough Shoal (Bautista, 35). President Aquino has firmly expressed that the Shoal was part of the Philippine territory and he has asked for assistance from the US and the international community in order to protect its territory (Tulfo). At present, the Scarborough situation has yet to be settled. 2. Arroyo, Gloria Macapagal (450 words) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is the 14th president of the Republic of the Philippines. She is the second female president of the Philippines and is also the daughter of a former president – Diosdado Macapagal (Spaeth). She married businessman Jose Miguel Arroyo in 1968 and they had three children. She studied at the Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C and later earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Assumption College in Manila, a Master’s degree from Ateneo de Manila, and a doctorate degree from the University of the Philippines, Dilliman (Spaeth). She first entered politics in 1992, serving as senator and in 1995, was reelected. She filed about 400 bills as senator and authored or sponsored about 55 laws, including the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law and the Indigenous People’s Rights Law (Spaeth). She ran as Vice-President with running mate Jose de Venecia in the 1998 elections. Although her running mate lost to Joseph Estrada, she won via a landslide victory as Vice-President. After President Estrada was removed as president in 2001 via the Edsa Revolution II, she was declared as President (Spaeth). In the 2004 elections, she ran and won the presidency. Her policies were very much focused on economics. As an economics graduate, her program focused on countryside development. She averaged 5.0% growth during her presidency, figures which were actually higher than her predecessors (Guillermo, 34). The Philippines economy was able to grow at a rapid rate. Reports from international bodies were however very much conflicting with the UN declaring that the poverty levels in the country actually worsening. The number of poor Filipinos increased from 2003 to 2006 (Guillermo, 35). With overpopulation, the country was also having trouble gaining any major progress in its economy. Increased taxes were also seen in the form of the expanded value added tax (e-VAT) which was meant to assist in its revenue raising efforts and plug the huge budget deficit. The tax measure boosted fiscal capacity, with the peso strengthening by about 20% in 2007 (Guillermo, 43). The overseas economy was also at its peak, with increased remittances from overseas employees. She also implemented the holiday economic where she moved holidays to either Fridays or Mondays in order to have longer weekends. This was an apparent bid to boost the economy through domestic tourism while giving more families time with each other. Although she was able to achieve much for the people, her term was also marked with high rates of corruption, and at one point, she was also accused of electoral fraud (Guillermo, 54). During the 2010 elections, she ran for Congress, winning a seat representing her province of Pampanga. In November 2011, she was arrested for electoral fraud and soon after, citing medical reasons, she was placed on hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City (Whaley). She has since been granted bail and is awaiting trial for electoral fraud and plunder (Whaley). 3. Maguindanao Massacre The Maguindanao massacre is the massacre of about 58 people from the town of Maguidanao. In November 23, 2009, Vice Mayor of Buluan, Maguidanao, Esmael Mangudadatu invited journalists to cover the filing of his candidacy with the Commission on Elections in the provincial office of Shariff Aguak (Jimenez-Gutierrez). A convoy of six vehicles, with 37 journalists, several lawyers and relatives of Mangudadatu started their ill-fated journey on November 23, 2009 at 9:00 in the morning (Jimenez-David). Before reaching their destination, the convoy was stopped by 100 armed men who then abducted and massacred those in the convoy, including several individuals who happened to be traveling in the same route. Most of the women, including Mangudadatu’s wife, aunt, and sister were raped, shot in the genitals, and later beheaded (Papa). The victims were then dumped at a shallow grave. In a text message, Mangudadatu’s wife was able to identify those who stopped the convoy, including son of rival politician Gov. Andal Ampatuan, Sr. Andal Ampatuan, Sr. was later identified as the mastermind of the massacre. Both father and son and other identified attackers were later charged with the murder (Quismorio). The trial is still ongoing, but setbacks have been seen with the disappearance and murder of several key witnesses. 4. EDSA II Edsa II, otherwise known as Edsa Dos or the Edsa Revolution of 2001 refers to the staging of a second people power revolution against the then ruling president, President Joseph Estrada (Doronila, 83). It lasted for four days and included a peaceful rally of the people at the Edsa Shrine, with the clamor of the people seeking the overthrow of President Joseph Estrada. Rallies in different parts of the Philippines were also apparent after a failed impeachment of President Estrada following corruption charges (Doronila, 83). This revolution installed Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the 14th president of the Philippines. Although many critics and purists denounced the revolution, labeling it as mobocracy or the rule of the mob, it was still widely recognized and supported by most world leaders, thereby lending legitimacy to Arroyo’s presidency (Bowring). 5. Partido Liberal Ng Pilipinas (Liberal Party of the Philippines) The Liberal Party of the Philippines is the party established in 1945 by Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senator Elpidio Quirino, and Senator Jose Avelino. It was considered a breakaway group from the dominant Nacionalista Party (Miller, 5). It is the current majority and ruling party in the Philippines with the installation of President Benigno Aquino, III. This party also has majority control of the House of Representatives. It is considered the second oldest political party in the Philippines and has included notable politicians, including its founding members and Benigno Aquino, Jr., the father of the current president (Miller, 17). Manuel Roxas was the primary founder of this party. He was the first president of the Third Philippine Republic. Two other presidents were elected under this party – Elpidio Quirino and Diosdado Macapagal. This party was an active critic of President Marcos’s rule, and its outspokenness made it a target for political persecution from Marcos (Miller, 24). In recent years, this party has also been instrumental in putting into place other major political decisions, including the rejection of the renewal of a new RP-US Bases Treaty (Miller, 33). It also expressed its support of the Second Edsa Revolution and was active in campaigning for Benigno Aquino III as the 15th President of the Philippines. 6. Reproductive Health Bill The Reproductive Health Bills are bills seeking to establish wider access to contraception or birth control, as well as maternal care (Lagman). This bill has been the subject of major debate in the Philippines, especially due to the fact that the country is predominantly a Catholic and Christian country. Religious beliefs only support natural methods of contraception and many people believe that the bill is against morality (Lagman). Due to the booming population of the country however, lawmakers are discussing the installation of this law as a means of population control. This bill will likely see the implementation of other methods of contraception including condoms, birth control pills, and IUDs legally into the system (Lagman). This bill is still under discussion by the House of Representatives and will be tabled for a vote on July 7, 2012. Works Cited “Aquino: K to 12 to improve Filipino skills.” Sunstar. 2012. Web. 01 August 2012. “Aquino vows a more progressive Philippines.” Sunstar. 2012. Web. 01 August 2012. Bautista, Lowell. “Philippine territorial boundaries: internal tensions, colonial baggage, ambivalent conformity.” JATI - Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 16 (2011): 35–53. Print. “Benigno Simeon Aquino, Jr.”. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2012. Web. 01 August 2012. Bowring, Philip. “Filipino Democracy Needs Stronger Institutions.” International Herald Tribune. 2001, Web. 01 August 2012 Doronila, Amando. The Fall of Joseph Estrada. Michigan: University of Michigan Pub., 2001. Print. Gamil, Jaymee and Aurelio, Julie. “Planking is out, 'Noynoying' is in.” Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2012. Web. 01 August 2012. Guillermo, Artemio. Historical Dictionary of the Philippines. New York: Scarecrow Press, 2011. Print. Jimenez-Gutierrez, Jason. “Philippines mourns massacre victims.” Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2009. Web. 01 August 2012. Jimenez-David, Rina. “Understanding the unbelievable.” Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2009. Web. 01 August 2012. Lagman, Edcel. “Reproductive health bill: Facts, fallacies.” Philippine Daily Inquirer. August 2008. Web. 01 August 2012. Miller, Frederic. Liberal Party (Philippines). Germany: VDM Verlag, 2010. Print. “Noynoy's ‘girlfriend’ being groomed for Congress.” GMA News. 2009. Web. 01 August 2012. Papa, Alcuin. “Maguindanao massacre worst-ever for journalists.” Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2009. Web. 01 August 2012. Quismorio, Ellson. “Justice for Maguindanao victims remains elusive.” Manila Bulletin. 2011. Web. 01 August 2012. “Senator Benigno S. Aquino III”. Senate of the Philippines. 2012. Web. 01 August 2012. Spaeth, Anthony. “Glory, Gloria!.” Time Magazine. 2001. Web. 01 August 2012. Teves, Maria Althea. “Final tally: Binay leads Roxas by 700,000 votes.” 2010. Web. 01 August 2012. Tulfo, Erwin, “Do you know where you’re going, Noynoy?. Manila Times. 2012. Web. 01 August 2012. Whaley, Floyd. “Former President of Philippines Is Freed on Bail.” New York Times. July 2012. Web. 01 August 2012. Read More