Newsbreak Chats: Keeping power within families
Bookmark this page to catch the discussion live on Thursday, March 31, at 4 pm!
MANILA, Philippines – In a country of 110 million people, with more than 18,000 elected positions available, major or strategic ones are occupied by members of less than 200 families.
As presidential candidates go around the provinces courting votes for the 2022 Philippine elections, they inevitably have to deal with these families that have a great deal of influence over entire provinces, congressional districts, cities, and key municipalities.
Among the candidates for president and vice president, at least four come from political dynasties: Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Sara Duterte, Vicente Sotto III.
And whoever wins at the national level, most of the political dynasties will stay entrenched in their localities, a number of them predictably transferring affiliation to the next ruling party.
So much talk about the “inclusivity” of the electoral process and the “participation” of ordinary people in democratic governance.
How do public offices become available to more people outside this exclusive circle?
Meanwhile, the 2022 campaigns are witnessing the rise of organized volunteer movements across the country. Supporters of presidential candidate Leni Robredo are being coordinated by what are called RPCs or Robredo People’s Councils, mounting rallies and doing house-to-house campaigning in localities where their candidate doesn’t have the support of traditional political families.
Will this give rise to a sustained people’s movement that can make elected officials listen to them even after the elections? Or will the new leaders raised by such volunteer movements eventually establish their own political families?
Rappler investigative editor Miriam Grace Go will discuss these and more on Thursday, March 31, with our journalists producing our series on political dynasties.
Hear from Regions head Inday Espina-Varona, Visayas bureau coordinator Ryan Macasero, and Mindanao bureau coordinator Herbie Gomez on Thursday at 4 pm.
Read the Rappler reports published so far on political dynasties:
- Political Dynasties 2022: Whether Red or Pink wins, families rule the regions
- Political Dynasties 2022: Two families dominate Zamboanga Sibugay politics
- Political Dynasties 2022: Dongkoy Emano morphs into kingpin after EDSA revolt
- Political Dynasties 2022: Clashing families spring from Dongkoy Emano
– Rappler.com
Watch previous 2022 Newsbreak Chats episode: