Root of the Problem: A Discussion on Philippine Political Culture
Documentor: Joharel Escobia, MA During the first part of his administration, President Ferdinand Marcos tried to change the oligarchic structure by taking away the assets of some prominent families. But this move was pretentious. This is because Marcos simply transferred the sequestered wealth to himself through crony capitalism. Marcos used his friends as dummies to hide what he plundered. This devastated the Philippine economy and had put democracy on a tailspin. The Philippines, in the process, became Asia's wastebasket for democracy. When Cory Aquino, the widow of Ninoy Aquino, assumed power in the Palace, she gave an order to draft what is now the 1987 constitution to correct the abuses of the Marcos regime. President Cory tried to bring in a new order, but it was no more than a restoration of the old one where only the top benefits from any progress. Cory, in short, reinforced what we call an elite type of democracy in which ilustrado politicians perpetuated themselves