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Philippine Politics and Governance-HUMSS 5

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF PHILIPPINE DEMOCRATIC

POLITICS

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

1. Why do we need to know the historical background of Philippine democratic politics?

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Describe Philippine politics, and governance from pre-colonial period to the Spanish period.
2. Identify similarities and differences between today’s politics and the experiences and
processes of politics in the past.
3. Discuss the changes in Philippine politics and governance; and
4. Assess the effects of the colonial experience of the country in its present politics and
governance.
5. Define democracy.
6. Discuss the development of democracy in the Philippines
7. Describe the effects of colonization process the way democracy is practiced in the Philippines.
8. Enumerate the effects of Martial Law to the Philippine politics and governance.
TASK NO. 1. ENGAGE

KNOW AND WANT TO KNOW. List the things you know and want to know about the
history of Philippine democratic politics.

KNOW WANT TO KNOW

TASK NO. 3. EXPLAIN

Politics during the pre-colonial Philippines was diverse as the heterogeneous cultural
character of the country and by extension, the region of Southeast Asia.
William Henry Scott (1979) was able to identify four types of Filipino unhispanized societies
in the country
1. Classless Societies- or communities that are so small that they do not have the need
to elect a leader (The need for a leader only comes with the facilitation of hunting, but
after every expedition, the appointed leader loses power).

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2. Warrior societies- who have a defined warrior class who are also appointed leaders
for legislation, inter-ethnic relations, and judicial matters (These communities are
relatively larger than the first and have more or less hostile relations with other groups,
thus the need for the warrior class).
3. Petty plutocracies- where there is clear division of economic class. The ruler of such
communities comes from the privileged class.
4. Principalities- where there is a clear class of leader through the datus or sultans.
Other perspective:
Philippines is composed of settlements or villages called “barangay” named after “balangay”
a Malayan word w/c means “boat”. Every barangay was virtually a state.

DATU – ruler or chief of barangay. In some places are called rajah, sultan or hadji. The Datu
exercises all executive, legislative, chief judge, and head of military. Datu is usually assisted by the
council of elders or Maginoos. Barangay is monarchy in form.

Four social classes in barangay.

1. The nobility (maharlika) – where datu belong

2. The freemen (timawa) – middle class, these are the taxpayers
3. The Serfs (aliping namamahay) – has the family of his own and serves the datu or his
master on the day that they agreed
4. The slaves (aliping sagigilir) – has no property at all, and has to seek permission to his/her
master if he/she wants to marry. Their master has the right to sell them.

During the pre-colonial period, the areas and the groups in the Philippines that the Spaniards
were able to occupy and influence have experienced a radical change in politics and governance.
Indigenous political systems in hispanized areas were removed and replaced by the colonial form of
government for easier management (Pawilen & Pawilen, 2017).

Communities were arranged according to the reduccion policy that centralized settlements
around colonial institutions, such as the church and municipal halls. The governor general became
the head of the colony, followed by the alcades and corregimientos, gobernadorcillos, cabeza de
barangays. (Pawilen & Pawilen, 2017).

DEMOCRACY

Democracy has long been exercised in the ancient Greece and is now known as the rule of people
where the power in government does not estimate from the divine right or any god but from citizens
of the state (Pawilen & Pawilen, 2017).

Democracy was introduced in the Philippines during the late 19th century following the opening of
the country’s economy to the world in 1834 (Pawilen & Pawilen, 2017).

PHILIPPINES REVOLUTIONARY ERA: GOVERNMENT AND THE REPUBLICS

 From August 24, 1896, the Katipunan became the First Filipino Government also known
as Tagalog Republic. It was formed by Andres Bonifacio to awaken the nationalism and
free the Filipino people from Spanish oppression and friar despotism. It was a secret society
that precipitated our glorious revolution. The Political objective (separation of
Philippines from Spain), Moral objective (teaching of good manners and morals),
and Civic objective (developing a sense of self-help and defense of the oppressed).

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 On November 1, 1897, a republic was established by Gen. Aguinaldo in Biak-na-Bato (now San
Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan). It had a constitution which was to take effect for two years only.
It declared that the aim of the revolutions was the “separation of the Philippines from the
Spanish monarchy and their formation into an independence state.” The Biak-na-Bato
Republic lasted up to December 15, 1897, with conclusion of the “Pact of Biak-na-Bato.”
 Following the outbreak of the Spanish-American war on April 25, 1898, Gen. Aguinaldo in view
of the chaotic conditions in the country, established the Dictatorial Government on May 24,
1898. The most important achievements of the Dictatorial Government were the
Proclamation of the Philippine Independence at Kawit on June 12, 1898 and the
reorganization of local governments.
 In the administration of the Philippines, the Governor-General was assisted by many boards
and officers, particularly the Board of Authorities and the Council of Administration. On June
23, 1898, Gen. Aguinaldo established the Revolutionary Government replacing the Dictatorial
Government.

However, it was during the American period that democracy was used in full extent as a political
system. The defeated Spaniards during the Spanish-American War in 1898 sold the Philippines to
American but the Filipinos choose to be independent rather than be subjected to another colonist,
thus Philippine-American War. Even during the Philippine-American War, the issue of what to do with
the Philippines had been a debate in the United-States. Some debated for its annexation as colony or
as a state while there were also some Americans who preferred the Philippines to be Free (Pawilen
& Pawilen, 2017).

PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT DURING AMERICAN OCCUPATION

 The American military rule in the Philippines began on April 4, 1898.

 Pursuant to the so-called Spooner Amendment (on the army appropriation act passed
in the US Congress on March 3, 1901) which ended the military regime in the Philippines, the
Civil Government was inaugurated in Manila on July 4, 1901.
 The Philippine Organic Act of 1902 created the Philippine Commission. Other government
offices were created to manage the country. Electoral representative in the Philippines began
with the creation of the Philippine Assembly. Philippine Assembly acted as the lower house
to the Philippine Commission and held its first election in 1907.
 On August 29, 1916, the Jones Law or the Act of Congress known as the Philippine
Autonomy Act of 1916, was approved. It was the first formal and official declaration of the
United States commitment to grant independence to the Philippines
 The next stage in the political development of the Filipinos was the establishment of the
Commonwealth Government of the Philippines pursuant to an act of the United States
Congress on March 24, 1934, commonly known was the Tydings-McDuffie Law. Among
other things, the law provided for a transition period of ten years during which the Philippines
Commonwealth would operate and at the expiration of said period on July 4, 1896, the
independence of the Philippines would be proclaimed and established. The new government
of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, deemed successor to the Government of the
Philippine Islands, was inaugurated on November 15, 1935, following the first national election
under the 1935 Constitution held on September 12, 1935, with Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio
Osmeña, as President and Vice-President, respectively.
 The new government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, deemed successor to
the Government of the Philippine Islands, was inaugurated on November 15, 1935, following

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the first national election under the 1935 Constitution held on September 12, 1935, with
Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmeña, as President and Vice-President,
respectively.

PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT DURING JAPANESE OCCUPATION

 A Civil government known as the Philippine Executive Commission composed of

Filipinos with Jorge B. Vargas as Chairman, was organized by the military forces of
occupation. The commission exercised both the executive and legislative powers. The laws
enacted were, however, subject to the approval of the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese
Forces. The Judiciary continued in the same form as it was under the Commonwealth.
However, it functioned without the independence which it had traditionally enjoyed.
 On October 14, 1943, the so-called Japanese sponsored Republic of the Philippines
was inaugurated with Jose P. Laurel as President. It was the same character as the
Philippine Executive Commission. Like the latter, the ultimate source of its authority was the
Japanese military authority and government, on August 17, 1945. President Laurel proclaimed
the dissolution of the Republic.

UNDER THE MARCOS REGIME

 In September 23, 1972, the foundation of democracy in the country was sidelined upon the
declaration of Martial Law by the President Ferdinand Marcos.
 The Constitution was remodeled in 1973 and for a brief period of time, the country
experienced a strict disciplinarian state that controlled the economy, legislation, and the
media.

REINSTATED OF PHILIPPINE DEMOCRACY

 Democracy was reinstated by the 1987 Constitution following the success of People
Power Revolution that toppled the Marcos dictatorship. The rights mandated in a democratic
society such as the right to vote and freedom of expression were also restored.

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