A statement issued by INCITEGov

For those concerned about the condition of democratic governance in the country, the advent of 2019 brings good news: we have survived over two and a half years of the Duterte Administration.  But the major political and social issues of 2018 remain unresolved.  

Deaths from the government’s drug war continue to rise, while efforts to determine accountability for drugs smuggled in the country have lost traction. The normalization of the discourse of sexual violence, sexism and misogyny and attacks on women and women leaders run unabated. The crackdown on mass media and the Church remains unchecked. The drive for federalism persists on the government agenda, even as it has been discredited by the attempt of the Lower House to ram through a draft unacceptable even to leaders of the Constitutional Commission.  China continues to strengthen its hold on the South China Seas and its influence on our economy. 

For both economic and security objectives, Mindanao will be a major focus in 2019.  A crucial test for the government’s will to ensure long-term peace and development in the island region will be next week’s referendum on the Bangsamoro Organic Law and the implementation of the long-delayed program to rebuild Marawi City.  

Meanwhile, the government must address the challenge of maintaining growth and ensuring poverty reduction, while alleviating the plight of the lower-income sectors most affected by the rise in food prices.   Unexpectedly, when it is facing pressures on many fronts, the Duterte Administration has exposed cracks in its control of the bureaucracy and supporting political formations.  Mr. Duterte, whom many survey respondents believe to be sick, has not been able to deter the in-fighting among his allies.  And the clash has further surfaced the signs of corruption within the administration. These dynamics are likely to further weaken the administration’s capacity to undertake much-needed reforms to address strain in the economy, in the midst of a turbulence in the global economy.

The outcome of the May elections will shape how these governance issues are resolved.  The challenge for civil society is twofold: first, to participate in shaping the electoral results; and, second, to be prepared to deal with any change in the balance of power between the administration and the forces that have thus far deterred a full-scale democratic rollback.

We cannot predict the specific forms of risks and opportunities that 2019 will bring.  The call, then, for those committed to resisting the slide into authoritarian rule is for greater vigilance, flexibility, resilience and persistence.

INCITEGov will continue to work to analyze the space for democratic change and to consolidate and expand a broad coalition of reformers who will persist in upholding democracy, human rights, rule of law, inclusion and participation against the forces that continually threaten to diminish and subvert these.

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INCITEGov is a policy research and advocacy center providing support to democratic movements and spearheading democratic reform coalitions and initiatives. It was founded in August 2005 as a membership-based, non-profit organization.