Root Access: Fraud in the 2022 elections and our ways forward
Root Access: Fraud in the 2022 elections and our ways forward
One of the cornerstones of a democratic society is the assurance of a free and fair election system. Thus, it is imperative that governments must ensure the security and integrity of elections, to assure its citizens that leaders are elected by the will of the people and not through the fraudulent actions of any single entity or group. To achieve this, two conditions must be guaranteed. First, no one but the voters themselves must know the contents of their ballot, so nobody can be advantaged or disadvantaged by another party due to their vote. Second, the voters must know confidently that their ballot has been transparently counted, and not discarded or replaced by a malicious party.
The Philippine electoral system, in contrast, has historically been marred with widespread electoral fraud and violence, owing to the vast control that major political dynasties, their cronies, and their financial backers have over both local and national politics. Electoral fraud, vote-buying, tampering of vote counting process, and the disenfranchisement of certain groups, such as the poor and marginalized communities are common practices during elections. There have also been concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability in the electoral process, as well as the limited access to information and resources for voters.
Ferdinand Marcos Sr., for example, ran what external observers identified as the “dirtiest campaign” in Philippine electoral history up until then, utilizing money, influence, and violence to coerce or threaten people into voting for him. In 1992, the first national elections after the historic People Power Revolution, then-secretary Miriam Defensor Santiago narrowly lost the presidential race to Fidel Ramos after many observers noticed significant irregularities in the conduct of the elections. In 2004, then-incumbent president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo again narrowly won the elections to actor Fernando Poe Jr.; she was later implicated in the Hello Garci cheating scandal, which involved the leaking of a phone call recording between Arroyo and an election commissioner talking about the rigging of the results. Election watchdogs have consistently lobbied for an election system that prevents widespread cheating done by politicians and protects the sanctity of the vote. These reflect the deep-rooted problem in the Philippine election system which has been traditionally undemocratic and elitist exercise.
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