Chairman Mao was right. Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. So wonder no more why the Cabinet is stuffed with retired generals, many of them in powerful and lucrative positions. That is one way to gain control of the armed forces. The mistah system is working well to keep Gloria and her minions in power. Retired generals have even displaced career foreign service from getting appointed as ambassadors. But that’s another story, and a passé at that.

A much bigger story is the government’s tolerance to private armies and to caciquism, a proven and tested formula of keeping those in power in power that led to the barbaric murder of at least 57 people in Maguindanao. That was how the Spanish colonizers took control of the indios for more than 300 years – they established a system of colonial administration that formally empowered the native datus as village headmen (cabezas de barangay) and petty governors (gobernadorcillos) and allowed hereditary succession to govern to ascensions to these posts.

When the Americans came, they gave the same privileges to the principalia, especially with the passage of the Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act that allowed free entry of Philippine products into the US market, thus doubling not only their wealth but also doubling the percentage of farmers under share tenancy. Export agriculture, especially sugar, prospered in the protected US market. Owners of mills and large plantations profited most, thus reinforcing the political dominance of the landed elite.

The situation got worse when the Philippine republic was proclaimed. Political bossism was institutionalized with the infamous 3Gs – guns, goons and gold. Elsewhere, even in Muslim Mindanao, private armies flourished to protect the business interests of the landed elite. When Ferdinand Marcos proclaimed Martial Law and used the military to perpetuate himself in power, his cronies continued to use money and violence to run their respective turfs. Nothing changed much when Cory Aquino “restored” democracy because the same dogs with different collars feasted on so-called gains of Edsa.

And when the Local Government Code of 1991 was passed, it gave so much powers to local government officials that in areas where families made towns, cities and provinces into their kingdoms, the use of force has again become inevitable. This was so because government resources are now controlled by the local chief executive who, in most cases, is only the representative of the family that runs the affairs of the local government unit.

Of course, there are also other families who would want to take their turn of enriching themselves through politics. They align themselves with national politicians with whom they can symbiotically exist. Through their provincial machineries, they provide votes for national candidates who, in case they win, are expected to protect their local interests that even if they arm themselves and run things on their own, they will just get tolerated. That’s cacique democracy.

Such symbiosis between local caciques and the modern-day capitan generales thrives because of the culture of greed – greed for money and greed for power. The first results to corruption, the second results to murders. Both phenomena also exist symbiotically. Money keeps one in power, and power gives one the opportunity to amass great wealth. As French historian Roland Mousnier observed, “Rank attracts power and money. Power is the generator of prestige and fortune. Riches give power and rank.”

And the cycle must continue so the political machinery gets consolidated for it to be able to dispense patronage endlessly. Part of this consolidation process is the establishment of private armies – may they be armed goons or the local police force controlled through a police director who owes his position to the local chief executive, or the military unit commanded through an Army officer who gets favors from the powerful politician in the area.

So wonder no more why a provincial government-owned backhoe was found in the massacre site in Maguindanao, or why the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) police regional director refused to provide police escorts to the victims before they motored to their grave, and why the Army commander in the province turned down the same request. And wonder no more why no big names will ever get arrested, prosecuted and punished for such barbaric act.

During the traditional Vin d’Honneur at Malacañang in January 2003 when she assured the nation that she would no longer run for President in 2004, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also vowed to make justice in the Philippines “so pervasive that it will be taken for granted, just as injustice is taken for granted today.” She already broke the first promise, and the second is now facing its toughest test so far. And so is caciquism!

5 Responses to “Cacique democracy”

• 1
  Dr. Antonio Gestosani
  November 30th, 2009 08:20

  The whole world is watching and reacting to this gruesome massacre that happened in Ampatuan Town of Maguindanao. What in God’s name can you justify raping and shooting women and children because you felt threatened to lose the election? No human being in his right mind will do such savage act against another innocent persons. My pet dog will never do that (I have a PUG).
  Mr. Lujan is right when he wrote: In the Philippines, you have “cacique democracy”. The truth of the matter is, Philippine Politics is usually controlled by one family who has absolute power and control of the town and district or even province (and might happen) under one evil empire – POLITICAL DYNASTY. And the Garin Family is one example. Too sad to say, but it’s true, that no one has a slim chance to replace them if you don’t belong to the family; it is a membership by DNA or marital affiliation.
  The immaturity of your political system allows political dynasty to flourish. Political Dynasty needs to be revisited and addressed by Philippine Government. As I said before, it is the root of all evils, and it was connected to the gruesome massacre in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao. The big question is: How did one political family come to exercise absolute control over one province? You, the people, be the judge!
• 2
  Josefa
  December 1st, 2009 02:50

  Before we cast our votes in the coming election let us ponder the plight of those who were massacred in Maguindanao. The political system in Iloilo is no different from Magindanao. Hence, this incident can happen too in Iloilo or maybe is happening already.

  More power to the author. Your writting make sense to me and you delivered to the level that we common tao understand. Thank you.
• 3
  Luke Macali
  December 5th, 2009 03:58

  I have heard it said that the way to fight violence and terrorism is through guns, and a small notebook and pen. Thank you for your articles. When we keep talking about the evils in our society, we also destroy the culture of impunity that the murderers and their protectors in the government want to perpetuate. Mr. Lujan, you are doing a great job! THANK YOU!
• 4
  Yul Padilla
  December 6th, 2009 15:46

  “The political system in Iloilo is no different from Magindanao. Hence, this incident can happen too in Iloilo or maybe is happening already.”
  You are right Josefa. We already have the equivalent of Sandal Ampatuan in Iloilo: Etik Espinosa. Ampatuan already had a string of murders under his belt, and his violence kept escalating until the Maguindanao massacre happened. The earlier violent crimes were ignored by Gloria Arroyo because the Ampatuans are her political allies.
  Etik Espinosa has killed people before, other than the two murder victims who were publicized in 2008. Espinosa himself bragged that the DoJ and its secretary Raul Gonzalez were in his pocket.
  Espinosa and Ampatuan are two of a kind… they don’t have to kill, they LIKE to kill. They enjoy watching people suffer. Etik Espinosa forced a father to watch the rape and murder of his daughter. These beasts don’t get cured of their evil, their violence escalates as time passes.
  Etik Espinosa got away with murder because of Raul Gonzalez’s help. This injustice has to be corrected if we are to prevent the explosion of violence in Iloilo. Etik Espinosa has to be put in prison!!! Plus Raul Gonzalez should never be allowed to be the mayor because he already has a ready-made hatchet man in Etik Espinosa.
• 5
  Rouan
  December 7th, 2009 17:08

  Our political system is, at best, amateurish unlike Western countries such as United States. American political system is stable and not personality-oriented. That’s why America has endured the 2008 financial crash and 8 years of George Bush while we can hardly withstand Gloria’s economic recovery program.
  America fought back against Osama and the Taliban after 9-11. We can hardly fight against 4-11.
  During Marcos, an American politician said: “Philippines is a country of 64 million cowards and one son of a bitch.”
  That appears to be again true today except that there are presently about 90 million cowards.

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