Ronald Meinardus: 'Poor losers fan Filipino disenchantment' published by Japan Times

Ronald Meinardus comments in Japan Times 'Poor Losers fan Filipino disenchatment' that the current 'destabilization' in the Philippines could actually be all about "vendetta", an excerpt of the article (press on title to link to article)....

It is not surprising that most Filipinos blame the government and particularly President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for the dire straits they see themselves in. Barely a year after her re-election to a six-year term, her popularity has dropped to the lowest level since she assumed power in early 2001.

In a democratic context, low popularity ratings and disenchantment with political leadership are not unusual. On the other hand, political rule is always bound by time limits; elections give the people the opportunity to judge and replace leaders they dislike or find ineffective. Political elections assume a stabilizing role as they provide the opposing forces a chance to assume power in a constitutional manner. One crucial condition for this political stability is that political contenders play by the basic rules (usually codified in the constitution). Conceding defeat after the elections and acknowledging the winner is one important element in what may be termed the consensus of democrats.

In the Philippines, this consensus does not exist. "You either win elections, or you are cheated," is a popular explanation in a country in which electoral fraud and vote manipulation remain a depressing routine. Up to this very day, the opposition forces have refrained from publicly accepting their defeat in the presidential elections held well over a year ago. Politicians of the opposition constantly challenge the political legitimacy of the presidency. Worse still for the incumbent: Many Filipinos seem to believe that Arroyo cheated her way into the presidential palace in May 2004.

In these days, the efforts of the opposition to undermine and eventually bring down the president are focused on allegations that members of the first family are being paid off by syndicates running illegal lotteries. Opposition lawmakers claim to have witnesses willing to testify that Arroyo's family members have taken kickbacks from criminal gangs running an illegal numbers game popularly known as jueteng.

Political irony lies in the fact that Arroyo's predecessor, Joseph Estrada, was ousted in 2001 in the course of a popular uprising after being accused of accepting money from jueteng lords. Not a few Filipinos continue to support the disgraced former leader. It is safe to assume that they are just waiting to take revenge for the ousting of their political idol.