First Inquirer Presidential Debate 172.0

Sets the bar in testing the candidates. I’m down to 4 choices.
Crisply run and with clear-cut time constraints, it forced the debaters to speak to the point.

The microphone was gently shut-off on the long-winded. Still, it captured enough meaningful sound bites.

Held at the University of the Philippines National Theater before a full audience, the debate confirmed for me the four candidates who remain in my selection frame. Needless to say, former President Estrada who did not show up is not one of them.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer deserves kudos for a well-designed and expertly run debate.

For Updates. Please find a link to all SYNTHESiST post on automated elections at the top the sidebar at right or under SYNTHESiST Potpourri.

1. Advance post on Voters Assistance Center implemented by Res 8786
2. New post on Implementing Automated Elections in a Context of Cheating and Mistrust
3. Previous post on 2010 Automated Elections Managing the Change

The eight: Aquino, de los Reyes, Gordon, Madrigal, Perlas, Teodoro, Villanueva, Villar. Where was Erap?

While there were some feisty moments especially from Senator Jamby Madrigal, the debate format highlighted who among the eight was knowledgeable.

It also showed up those who really have nothing to say than platitudes or ad hominem arguments not beyond for the audience to appreciate.

A Three-Screen Sieve for the Debate. Going into the debate, I prepared a sieve to make sure I had an objective view of the candidates. It was good to see them beside each other though the format stopped them from attack on the others. With so little time, it forced each one to talk about his or her own programs.

I derived the three-screen sieve thus.

Checks-and-Balance and American Pragmatism

To me, there are two extreme models of governance that the Philippines can emulate in the long run. In the last 100 years we have weaned ourselves on the American model but maybe we have to change away from it.

The American model is based mainly on a framework of checks-and-balance that was a set up as a reaction to the feudal system of the government that the immigrants fled from before the 1770s.  John Kenneth Galbraith very well described this terrain in his book American Capitalism:  The Concept of Countervailing Power (first published in 1956).

In my mind, this model reached its first peak of power in the early twentieth century with this framework when combined with the politico-economic philosophy of pragmatism very well told in the Pulitzer-winning book, The Metaphysical Club (2001) by Louis Menand.

To quote from the book, the pragmatism developed by four 19th century philosophers – Holmes, James, Wendell and Pierce, insisted that “ideas should never become ideologies – either justifying the status quo, or dictating some transcendent imperative for renouncing it … In many ways this was a liberating attitude …”

Note: In one sense, the American situation today has checks-and-balance paired with ideology rather than ideas. Gridlock results when no pragmatic center exists and the parties do not negotiate on the ideas but oppose each other based on ideologies. Paul Krugman’s New York Times op-ed today tells this story well.

Screen #1: Treating the context of checks-and-balance as given, my candidate must be knowledgeable, pragmatic and able to negotiate his ideas with different stakeholders.

Pre-Colonial Datu:  Learning from F Aguilar and Machiavelli

The pre-colonial datu was a “man of prowess” imbued with what the Ilongos call dungan – described lengthily below and we quote from historian Filomeno Aguilar in his book A Clash of Spirits (1998) from Alicia Magos’s work :

a life force, an energy, as well as an ethereal entity, a spirit with a will of its own that resides in the human body and provides the essence of life Apart from denoting an alter ego and soul stuff, the dungan as presently understood refers to such personal attributes as willpower, knowledge and intelligence, and even the ability to dominate and persuade others.

The pre-colonial datu was not a hereditary position. As a man of prowess with power over the spirits, he controlled territory on the basis of his strength. As datu, he was obligated to use this strength to take care of his people. If his heirs did not have the dungan, then somebody strong becomes the datu.

I do believe there is a subliminal shred in the Filipino psyche of this men of prowess, whether perceived or real. This is the only explanation for the phenomena of Erap, Jaworski and Pacquiao.

This concept of datu was corrupted during the colonial period when the position was made hereditary to help the short-handed Spanish government to control the colony. Then prowess as source of power transmogrified into connections.

The Philippines is in trouble today because many of the inheritors, who govern by connections, are not men of prowess like their first ancestors. They may be well-educated and speak well, especially English because they went to the most expensive schools, but many have much less between the ears and in the guts. In a sense, the Philippines is now governed by cohort that is mainly of the weaker link. We must transform our elections and choice of leaders into a real contest between men (and women) of prowess.

The modern hereditary datu as leader by connection through the political dynasties also survives on some medieval context so well explained by Dean Dodong Nemenzo at our last session of the Manila Reading Club on Machiavelli’s The Prince.

While an overlay of the rule of law apparently exists in a mantle over all citizens that have been left behind by the Americans, there is still a residual medieval character in our political economy. As in 16th century Italy, there is still an imprint of a dual morality between the national elite and the unempowered citizenry.

And my take is that this has only just recently improved with the conviction of the likes of Claudio Teehankee Jr, Rolito Go, Romeo Jalosjos and Erap Estrada.

Machiavelli sought a Prince to unite Italy and strengthen its city-states from the power of Spain and France and the Holy Roman Empire (then run by the German principalities). While he never said that “the end justifies the means” as the Catholic Church accused him, his approach for the Medici was cynical enough to excite debate about the use of political power up to the present times.

The country does not need a President who will be like Machiavelli’s Prince even if the Philippines faces the same threats and similarly needs to make itself wealthy and strong. A ‘man of prowess’ in the mode of the pre-colonial ‘datu’ but working with only one moral code for all the citizens.

Screen #2:  Given my desire for the right culture context, my candidate must be a datu in the pre-colonial sense with one moral code for all citizens in th exercise of power.

Moving to a Model Based on Real Trust and Respect

The modern North European – the Swiss, German and Scandinavian – model on the other hand would have been ideal to me for the Philippines. The basic elements are (a)na homogeneity of culture and (b) a social contract between the leaders and the led.

For the Scandinavians this governance model derived from the long-travels aboard Viking boats which forced ship mates to develop modes of working with each other and selecting leaders that involved trust and respect.

For the Germans and the Swiss, the central government was created by negotiation between long-standing and independent lander or cantons. The confederations were actually united through negotiations and contract rather than conquest (originally the Zollverein (1818) for the Germans and the Oath on Rutli (1291) for the Swiss).

Between the citizens and the leaders, there was enough presumption of trust and respect as undertakings in the contract that is embedded in the government models of these states that were later formalized in that politically important year of 1848 in Europe.

Note: In our next post, we will learn from the experience of Denmark, a small, developed Scandinavian country, in national innovation systems.
Screen #3:  Given my desire for change, my candidate must be capable and have the right values to lead towards people and institutional re-arrangements based on trust and respect?

My Take on the Candidates from the Debate

Noynoy Aquino’s debate performance impressed me though I did have low expectations coming into the hall.

He was able to give specific enough answers to the varied questions asked though, on the question of his sisters influence on him, his response was neither here nor there.

If he receives a strong mandate in the elections, I now believe he can be a good President.

Dick Gordon was as voluble as ever but he made sense. On personal characteristics, his understanding of the issues and his proven ability to execute, though in a smaller scale, he is definitely qualified to be President.

What I find hard to explain though is why he decided to run when he is not sure, by a long shot, of winning.

John de los Reyes gave intelligent answers from the heart but, to me, he needs more toughening up to become a good President.

Being from Mindanao myself, I found his appreciation of the problems there – after just five visits – quite shallow and his recommendations not good enough.

He is one of the good guys and bears watching in the future though, like Gordon, I question his judgment in running for President in this election.

Eddie Villanueva is a good man who should stay in the pulpit.

He has his heart in the right place but his answers were mostly motherhood statements and repetition of his generic dislike for any form of corruption. Ergo, if corruption is eliminated all problems are solved,

I think to be President of the Philippines one has to have more skills.

Nick Perlas will make a good environment secretary but as President one has to be more multi-faceted.

He is smart enough and, like the others, has his heart in the right place.

When the world is in a transition to a greener future, it is important for the President to have one foot realistically in the past or else the transition will be bad for those who are left behind.

Jamby Madrigal is one tough woman. And smart talking, too.

Very quick on the repartee but worrisome in her mono-manic dislike for Manny Villar.

I think a President must be able to deal with all kinds of people, even those one dislikes. Otherwise, the Presidency can become a bully pulpit and the object of much violent reactions from other centers of power.

When these brush fires of conflict happen, nothing gets accomplished.

Manny Villar has the technical skills and leadership to be President.

I agree with his identification of the financial issues to fund growth – as budget deficit and and the taxation gap – as among the first issues to be address (Last week’s poll in this blog was exactly on the issue. (Note: The result of the first two polls will be discussed with a third one this February.)

My biggest doubt pertains to the question: why is he spending so much on a job that pays so little?

Gibo Teodoro is qualified to be President. His answers to the questions were knowledgeable, succinct and direct.

Among all the candidates, he is the only one with a sense of humor. I feel the problems of the country will land light on his shoulders.

Like Gordon and John de los Reyes, I also question his judgment based on the arrangements he made in joining the campaign. He may well be the most qualified candidate who will not make it.

And so we move on …

That’s me at the UP National Theater. I thank my friend Monica for the tickets.

The first ever automated elections (Click for our previous post) for the whole country is fast approaching. This debate gives the next 90 days of campaigning a great start. Thank you Inquirer.

Note: Our next book discussion at the Manila Reading Group on February 27 will be on Mabini by Cesar Adib Majul. It is heartwarming to note that the locally-schooled Mabini was inspired by the ideas of the French enlightenment, the very fount on which the French and American revolutions sipped from for inspiration. Please click Mabini on the navigation line above for a view of the book and look for Manila Reading Group at Facebook for registration and RSVP.

Filed under 2010 Automated Elections, Books and Journals, Changes in Institutions, Policy and Regulation from Need, Transparency and Empowerment, Mashups - Technology-enabled, Social Enterprise and Innovations, Social Innovation · Tagged with change management, Philippines, Social Innovation