Francis Jeus Ibañez: A Radical Theory of Democracy

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By Francis Jeus Ibañez

I am exploring a theory of democracy that is based on the Philippine context through its own madness. It is not the radical democracy as explained by Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc. Instead of Chantal Mouffe, I will use Jacques Derrida in what I consider as a radical approach to democratic theory.

Derrida in his post modern approach rejects any foundation. This decentering means we move the fulcrum away from a central figure. In Philippine society and in Maboloc's case, former President Duterte. His critics are also wrong for insisting on strictly appropriating Mouffe. The Philippines has a different context. 

Maboloc's approach is a being questioned for misappropriating radical democracy. But one has to admit that given the context, his approach can be considered as a radical theory of democracy. Dr. Ian Clark Parcon enjoins Jurgen Habermas to explain Mouffe's agonism and find a middle ground between dialogue and struggle. 

But I beg to differ from both. Democracy does not follow a singular or even a universal ethos. You can only talk about discordance. The binary approach is myopic or narrow (rich/poor, virtuous/scums, etc). Hence, there should not be a central figure or a controlling narrative in the middle. Everything comes about as a groundless ground, which is what defines all the madness.

Maboloc's mistake is that he put Duterte at the center. This is something that he said he can agree with me during an interview for a paper now under review. The same mistake was committed by those who are either an Aquino or a Marcos loyalist. I think the true center of a democracy should be the people. It is the demos as correctly pointed out by Givheart Dano.

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