The Impeachment and the Power of the Ballot

September 6, 2005

As this impeachment process reached its end, much was said about the state of Philippine democracy.  Depending on which side you were on, the dismissal of the Lozano complaint signalled either the triumph or defeat of our fledgling democratic institutions and our adherence to the rule of law.   But it seemed to me that overall, the approval of the justice committee’s report revealed the weakness of the ballot in this country.  

In an ideal democracy, members of Congress are compelled to vote in accordance with the wishes of their constituency. Otherwise they face the prospect of losing their seat in the next election.  After all, the cohesiveness between popular and Congressional will is directly related to the strength of representative democracy.  Using this standard, the impeachment process reveals the weakness of Philippine democracy. (more…)