Carlos H. Conde Published: May 11, 2007

There are an estimated 250 political families nationwide, with at least one in every province, occupying positions in all levels of the bureaucracy, according to the Center for People Empowerment in Governance, a nonprofit group that advocates more grassroots participation in politics. Of the 265 members of Congress, 160 belong to these clans, the group says.

The system is a vicious cycle, one that prevents the expansion of the base of aspirants and candidates for representation, Teehankee said. The result, he added, is a political system dominated by patronage, corruption, violence, and fraud.

Because Filipinos tend not to vote according to class, ethnicity, religion or even ideology, the Filipino family has become "the most enduring political unit and the one into which, failing some wider principle of participation, all other units dissolve," Brian Fegan, an American anthropologist and historian, wrote in the book "An Anarchy of Families: State and Family in the Philippines."

Analysts say the dominance of the clans has prevented the flowering of genuine democracy in the Philippines.


http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/11/news/phils.php


Clearly the author says here that democracy in the Philippines is not genuine. again i have no choice but to agree..
Brian Fegan, an American anthropologist and historian, wrote in the book "An Anarchy of Families: State and Family in the Philippines."

The Philippines will continue in its deep economic slumber if this is the case.

To say that it is the most corrupt nation in Asia?

Does Carlos H. Conde exposes the truth on how it came to be?

Despite its potential the Philippines is not as developed as it should have been, isn't it? Power is shared between a few families and that 'greed' is the main reason why its political system cannot be regarded as 'genuine democracy'.

The country hasn't moved that far from Marcos era. With that greed for power among a few families the majority of the people have very little chance in getting themselves out of poverty.

Its more correct to say that we have here a monopoly in political governance. Try to make a family tree of those incumbent leaders, youll find connections. Much worse is the fact that its a growing family business for them.