The elephant in the SONA

By Michael Henry Yusingco, LL.M

Every SONA reminds us that electing clowns to Congress ensures bad governance. An even harsher reminder is that electing plunderers, which we have done many times, guarantees the plunder of the public coffers. But the most stinging lesson of all is the fact that Congress represents who we are as a polity. Is electing clowns and plunderers now our democratic DNA?

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his fifth SONA today. Various groups want him to address the concerns that impact the lives of millions of Filipinos living paycheck to paycheck. But civil society must grapple with a more fundamental and existential matter alongside the usual promises of economic growth, infrastructure, and government reform: How democratic is the Philippines today?

This question is pertinent because President Marcos will be addressing our Congress, the house of the people, the very symbol of our democracy. Comparative constitutional scholar Björn Dressel in, The Philippines: How Much Real Democracy?, posed this very challenge. In 1986, Filipinos peacefully overthrew the Marcos dictatorship. Yet nearly four decades later, the country’s democratic journey seems painfully unfinished.

Dressel identified a paradox that still defines our politics. On one hand, the country possesses many of the hallmarks of a functioning democracy. Elections are held regularly, voter turnout remains consistently high, civil society organizations are active, the press remains relatively vibrant despite continuing pressures, and the 1987 Constitution provides extensive guarantees for civil liberties and human rights.

On the other hand, however, our democracy continues to suffer from one enduring structural weakness: the overwhelming domination of politics by a small number of families. The Ateneo Policy Center’s study, From Fat to Obese: Political Dynasties after the 2019 Midterm Elections, concludes that dynasties have not merely persisted—they have become “fatter.” In fact, they have become “obese” according to Dean July Teehankee. Hence, the elephant metaphor.

This is the significance of the forthcoming SONA. Well, every SONA for that matter. Congress, both the Senate and the House of Representatives, is littered with dynastic politicians. Most dynasties now have multiple members in the legislature. Some have multiple members in one chamber. Some have multiple members in both chambers. Clearly, the elephant metaphor does not really do justice to the perverse situation we have today.

President Marcos has repeatedly emphasized economic recovery, infrastructure development, digital transformation, and improving government services. These are worthwhile objectives. But no discussion of national development is complete without addressing the institutional conditions necessary to sustain it. The truth is that economic growth alone cannot fully compensate for weak democratic competition.

Infrastructure and investment pledges are important, but so too are political institutions that allow capable new leaders to emerge. Without genuine electoral competition, innovation in governance becomes more difficult, corruption becomes harder to challenge, and public office increasingly resembles inherited privilege rather than public trust.

The Philippines cannot fully realize its democratic potential while political opportunity remains concentrated within a handful of families. Remember the “Mahiya naman kayo!” outburst in last year’s SONA? That is exactly how the millions of Filipino households living on the brink of familial collapse feel about Congress. President Marcos mouthed the words, but many still doubt he can back this admonishment with concrete action.

As the nation listens to another SONA, Filipinos should evaluate not only what government has accomplished but also what remains structurally broken. The unfinished democratic project of the 1986 People Power Revolution requires more than becoming an upper middle-income country. It requires political reform that restores genuine electoral competition and broadens access to public leadership.

Our hearts must be severely agitated now because a nation borne from revolting against colonial rule and against tyranny cannot just concede democracy to a small avaricious ruling class.  A country of 120 million must not accept being constantly dominated by a few power-hungry families. These mega dynasties unapologetically spit on our proud democratic legacy. Reclaiming it is imperative.