Notes on Democracy: 2022 Agawan Base
This fight for potential power means listening to the people’s concerns.
With concentrated power under the Duterte regime — for better or for worse, that is up to your discretion (but I would say for worse) — all sides of the spectrum of political spectrum are seeking to regain power in the upcoming 2022 National Elections. There is no sense of plurality under Duterte’s hordes of ex-military men turned cabinet secretaries, DDS bloggers that turn into high-ranked government officials, and lawmakers that serves as rubber stamps, and this has been the cause of Duterte’s overwhelming support leading to self-serving policies. From the Duterte family’s affluence and stronghold in Davao to people such as Bong Go and Alan Peter Cayetano, a high number of Duterte supporters in office is a recipe for disaster for Philippine politics. This is why I see the upcoming elections as a game of agawan base: this elections will serve as a game of winning potential power, with most if not all of the political outcomes that change our pandemic response, economic stability, and social unrest from 2022 and beyond.
A tricky round of agawan base…
1Sambayan, made in the goal of “bringing back” good governance in Philippine politics, aims to challenge the current reigning conglomerate of Duterte and his servants in next year’s national election with an à-la-Avengers Endgame form of collaboration. From the Liberal Party and Akbayan Partylist to Sentro (Nagkaisa) and the Bagong Alayansang Makabayan, 1Sambayan is marketed to be formed due to necessity: a narrative of importance and necessity because this collaboration of friends and foes would only arise due to worsening conditions. This narrative was even used when launching its youth chapters in the Ateneo and La Salle system, with “bitter rivals” uniting as one to end Duterte’s presidency. An invitation to a game of agawan base with one of the strongest to have ever played the game, 1Sambayan (from the name itself) seeks to make unity for the country to survive the pandemic, recession, and social unrest.
This alliance could’ve come at a better time, with many Filipinos interested in joining this coalition and member organizations collaborating with each other to strengthen the impact of 1Sambayan. I am allied with 1Sambayan Youth for two reasons: my organization (Student Christian Movement of the Philippines) actively collaborates with 1Sambayan Youth, and I am a volunteer for 1Sambayan Lasalyano; with this, I can easily say that the movement has had an impact with the youth coming from all backgrounds. With organizations of different ideologies such as Anakbayan (national democratic), Akbayan! Youth (social democratic), Spark (Marxist-Leninist), and Liberal Youth among many others under the roster of 1Sambayan Youth, I can see that the youth have a general consensus of “bayanihan” towards asserting their potential power in Philippine politics. In my onboarding with 1Sambayan Lasalyano, Lasallians from different schools in the La Salle system wanted to join to either learn more about Philippine politics or do whatever they can to support the cause as they are not eligible to vote yet. This just shows that the youth want to take back power in 2022 with the lack of youth representation and policies that cater to solving problems faced by the youth.
…but who gets to play?
Questions regarding elitism surround this newly-formed alliance due to its campaign format and approach to national issues. With tactical choices for one by choosing to use English and not languages like Tagalog, Cebuano, or Ilonggo, or it’s lack of “makamasang” strategy due to holding on to intellectualist perspective on who gets to lead the country, many see 1Sambayan as one that was born to fail. I do think that there are still some things that the coalition needs to improve on, but so far it is looking great for them. However, this fight for potential power means listening to the people’s concerns.
While it is laudable that the opposition has become one in its fight, execution of ideas may tend to be sloppy and uninteresting to the masses that it seeks to mobilize during the elections. Personally, issues touched upon by 1Sambayan such as “uncivilized governance” and national sovereignty are important to forward a better future of the country, but the coalition seeks to touch on issues that are “malapit sa sikmura ng masa.” Issues such as unemployment, homelessness, and financial aid are what the people need right now as we struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the youth, we have not seen 1Sambayan campaign for a gradual and safe return to face-to-face classes and Student Aid for those who need more assistance in purchasing mobile data or in paying for tuition fees. 1Sambayan cannot win this game of agawan base if what they will do towards their potential power when they win 2022 is to address issues that are perceived as minor.
For me, this is the problem with the resurgence of a pluralist-styled coalition in battling the Duterte regime: you cannot create a genuine broad united front without enticing a broad number of the population to support your needs. Although appearing as fair representation, most conveners of 1Sambayan consist of former Aquino aides as well as liberal and social democrats that are tagged as “dilawan”, which is bad for the coalition because it is seen as another disappointing attempt for the yellow-tagged party. Even with representatives from leftist and rightist groups, the elitism comes from an “ivory tower” behavioral approach: “vote for us because we are better and more disciplined than Duterte” or “vote for us because we are good and pure” do not work when 1Sambayan’s rivals are dancing and singing while making promises for a better future and quality of life. Although I can see that promises that these trapos make, I believe that they win because although fake, they present themselves as a genuine solution while still remaining grounded and “fun”.
Taya-tayaan na!
With elitist pluralism on the line, it is high time for 1Sambayan to be a coalition that appeals more to the masses. The goal of the movement should not just be limited to a few issues and a morality contest, but should be able to address the urgent needs of the country. Will 1Sambayan address current issues on agrarian reform or ending contractualization? What about an increase in hazard pay for frontliners and health benefits for everyone in the pandemic? How will they address creating a new normal? Will 1Sambayan only fixate itself to being anti-Duterte that they forget to be pro-people?
It’s going to take a lot of collaboration to do this, and hopefully 1Sambayan is ready to step off its ivory tower as it is possible: chapters have been set up in far flung areas and municipalities, as well as more youth organizations being mobilized to create stronger alliances. I do hope that this form of catering to the masses continues because this game of agawan base will be an intense one.
Bibliography
COMMONER. (2021, April 14). 1Sambayan Can Succeed. But It Can Also Fail Horribly. Medium; Medium. https://mediacommoner.medium.com/1sambayan-can-succeed-but-it-can-also-fail-horribly-981b7afbb98b
Cunningham, F. (2002). Theories of democracy: A critical introduction. Routledge.
Pluralistic Democracy, Theory of. (n.d.) The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition. (1970–1979). Retrieved September 7 2021 from https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Pluralistic+Democracy%2c+Theory+of
Notes on Democracy is a series of blog posts concerning reflections on the state of democracy in the country and the state of emergency it brings towards personal crises.
