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CARIAGA, Chylsea F.

February 11, 2019

MIDTERM ESSAYS

POLITICAL CULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINE CONTEXT

One of the main issues in the Philippines today is the lowering of age in terms of criminal
liability. It became controversial since it would affect the life of a child. Many disagree and some
wanted to pursue it. This issue poses a question to the state. Does ratifying this kind of law will
consider as the failure of the state to protect a child and to make sure that a child should grow in a
conducive environment? Or is the Philippine society as a whole failed to regulate behavior among
themselves and these reflects to the action of the children nowadays? For sure, this kind of problem
is not just due to the lapses of the government, but also to the community that surrounds a child
plays an important factor especially in terms of their behavior. This issue is a matter of morality
and legality. Who will definitely prevail?

Divided Civil Society

Even the civil society themselves lack value consensus whether the age of criminal liability
should be lowered to 12 years old or even to nine years old. As Pateman would argue, social
cleavages such as gender, class, and race should be considered in this kind of matter. This implies
that there are structural inequalities why people’s opinions vary in this particular issue (Faulks,
1999). For instance, the data from Pulse Asia entails that more than half of the population entails
that the lowest age for criminal liability should be 15 years old, and not 12 or nine years old, and
this contention is from the poorest class E and D (Elemia, 2019). This means that those who are in
the lower class demand to set the threshold of criminal liability to 15 years old only for most of
them feared that their children will end in jail. The lower class perceived that this law if ratified
will again be in their disadvantage since it is always the powerful that blames the lower class for
any criminal activity. This reflects in the war against drugs that most of the people who are killed
and who are being accused is in the lower class, and now this would also happen to their children
if ever the law will be ratified.
Some especially those who are considered to be professionals and experts like a philosophy
teacher from Ateneo de Davao University agreed to lower the age of criminal liability in order that
there will no other means and avenue that will be used by offenders and violators. As a result, it
would lower criminal cases in the Philippines. In short, he finds it justifiable. People have different
perception with regard to this issue, it depends to their situation and to the context where they are
in. If the civil society themselves cannot achieve consensus regarding this matter, how much more
between the civil society and the state.

The Philippine State: Authoritarian or Democratic?

According to Almond and Verba, those states that failed to develop such cultural support
for democracy were prone to authoritarianism (Faulks, 1999). I agree to this contention since it is
somewhat true with Philippine politics. As of the moment, the House Justice Committee approved
the House Bill 8858, amending the minimal threshold of age in terms of criminal liability (Castro,
2019). Despite of half of the Philippine population who disagree with this issue, the government
continue to pursue it. This implies that the state does not consider the clamor of the people
regarding the matter. Thus, being authoritarian in their actions, that once it will be ratified, the
masses cannot negotiate with it especially those who belong the lower class. The state will impose
to its people what it thinks it right and does not the opinions of the masses. How can this country
be democratic when the people are not given a space to intervene in their decisions? In the context
of the Philippines, nothing links the people and the state.

Does Political Culture exist in the Philippines?

According to Almond and Verba, Political Culture is an important mediator between the
civil society and the state (Faulks, 1999). This contention does not exist in the Philippines. As
Welch argues, Political Culture serve as to reconcile the difference between the attitude of the civil
society and the political system of the state (Faulks, 1999). This is not true in the Philippines
because as for the moment, the state did not take into consideration that half of the population
disagree to the issue in terms of lowering the age of criminal liability. In the Philippines, there is
no such thing as a mediator between the civil society and the state since all decisions are controlled
by the latter without the considering the former. The Philippines always belittle the potential of
the people to decide and monopolizing all decision making in their hands pretending that all of
their decisions are for the people.
Conclusion

The Philippines is a democratic country, but it does not act like one. The country is merely
democratic because of its electorate system, but during elections politicians continue to deceive
the masses and alter their decisions through vote buying. The people should be involved in the
decision-making process. What are surveys for in the first place, if the state would not take it
seriously? The people should be given a voice and true representation especially in legislature. The
state is being one-sided in their decision when in fact there are a lot of matters that should
considered during the deliberation. Democracy should be a tool to proper cause especially for the
part of the people, but it became the tool of oppression and monopolization of power in the
Philippines. Also, how can the people assert their right against the state if among themselves they
are divided. The masses perceive themselves as powerless and most of them feared to disagree the
decisions of the state. If the concept of Political Culture does exist in the country? What is for?
What is its relevance if it fails to mediate the civil society and the state?

Word Count: 1016

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