Abstract:
On May 9, 2016, the country will hold its 15th presidential elections. For a country that has had the longest experience in elections in Asia, the forthcoming exercise is not expected to depart from prior elections with the vertical accountability mechanism remaining a blunt instrument to exact accountability among national and local politicians.
However, the forthcoming elections are peculiar, and for that matter, still interesting. Two of the five main contenders for the presidency are confronted with serious disqualification cases. Unlike prior elections where the presidential candidates take on easily distinguishable reformist or populist slants, the discourse of candidates for the presidency has become crass, with one leading candidate even openly using profanity in a recent press conference.
The separate race for the vice presidency has drawn an equal number of serious contenders in a race that is expected to be the tightest for what is in fact only a ‘spare tire’ position. Finally, for the thousands of local positions, an increasing number of elections are uncontested, an indication that ascendant clans at the sub-national levels have firmed up their power bases.
Short bio
Ronald D. Holmes is an Assistant Professor (on study leave) of the Department of Political Science of De La Salle University, Manila. He is also President of the research organization, Pulse Asia Research Inc. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Political and Social Change of the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, the College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University.
Mr. Holmes explored the negative and often hidden aspect of the 15th presidential elections in the Philippines. Even though the Philippines has had the longest experience in elections in Asia, this forthcoming exercise is not expected to depart from prior elections with the vertical accountability mechanism remaining a blunt instrument to exact accountability among national and local politicians.
Please click here for the Youtube video of Mr. Holmes seminar.
