Stakeholders rally behind inclusive, deliberative, participative democracy

Various members of the academe, civil society and sectoral organizations, youth groups, political parties, think tanks, international partners, and electoral reform advocates vowed to advance greater citizen political participation that will lead to a strong, robust, and working democracy.

Organized by Political Participation for Greater Electoral Integrity (PARTICIPATE) last May 11-12 at a hotel in the city, the PARTICIPATE Democracy Summit gathered more than 400 democracy stakeholders to discuss, engage, and commit to strengthen political participation in the country.

Akbayan Party President Rafaela David, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) President and Palawan Second Congressional District Representative Jose Alvarez, Bayan Muna Party-list Chairperson Atty. Neri Colmenares, Aksyon Demokratiko Chairperson Ernest Ramel Jr., Albay Second

Congressional District Representative Joey Salceda, and City of Isabela, Basilan Mayor Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman joined the summit opening plenary discussion and discussed ways to lessen political polarization.

“Mas kailangan nating matutong makinig. ‘Yun bang mga tinatayuan natin at ‘yung mga issues natin, are they still relevant to the majority?,” Mayor Turabin-Hataman said. “Kung hindi, let’s take this opportunity to look. May kakulangan ba tayo sa pagpapaintindi? O talagang kailangan na nating tanggapin na iba na ang usapan ngayon?”

David said that political dissent is part of a healthy democracy and that Filipinos engage in political activities according to their political ideologies. “Kapag hindi tayo kakampi, hindi tayo papakinggan. We organize our lives based on our political affiliation.”

While it is true that opposition is healthy in a democracy, Atty. Colmenares pointed out that division that leads to hate speech and curtailment of freedom of expression “compromises the integrity and essence of right to suffrage and participation of the people”.

Echoing the same sentiments, Ramel Jr. emphasizes the need to establish a trust to listen to each other. “Importante na we should come together. Dapat continue tayo na maghanap ng middle ground para magtulong-tulong.”

Call for meaningful participation

In a summit declaration signed by the attendees, PARTICIPATE called on the public to “push harder and work more for a deliberative, inclusive, and participative democracy.”

“PARTICIPATE believes that to uplift democracy, citizens must be empowered by having access to tools promoting informed voting, institutions must be strengthened through responsive and accountable policies and processes, and constituencies must be capacitated to engage in and pursue political reforms,” the statement read.

PARTICIPATE is composed of the consortium of Ateneo School of Government (ASOG), La Salle Institute of Governance (LSIG), National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), Caucus of Development Non-Government Organization Networks (CODE-NGO), and Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS).

The   two-day   summit   was   co-presented   by   the   United   States   Agency   for International Development (USAID), British Embassy Manila, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), Youth Leadership for Democracy (YouthLed), Hirayang Kabataan, International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in Governance (INCITEGov), Galing Pook Foundation, and Philippine Political Science Association (PPSA).

This event was also brought by ABS-CBN News, ABS-CBN News Channel, PressONE.PH, Now You Know, CASSayuran – The Official Student Publication of Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology College of Arts and Social Sciences, and The Flare – Official Student Publication Unit of Cavite State University Imus Campus.

PARTICIPATE is a non-partisan, pro-democracy coalition dedicated to engage and empower the political participation of the Filipino people. It aims to strengthen citizen oversight of electoral processes, increase the availability and accessibility of information to promote informed voting, and support constituency-building for electoral reforms.