Liberalism in the Philippines

Ideology, Party & Movement

Dr. July Teehankee

National Institute for Policy Studies
 What is an ideology?

 A comprehensive set of beliefs and

attitudes about social and economic
institutions and processes.
 It offers a critique of an existing system
and a view of the ideal system.
 Provides an outline of how political change
can and should be brought about.
 What is liberalism?
 Liberalism is an ideology committed to the
individual and a society in which the
individual can pursue and realize their
interests
 Latin word as liberty – liber, meaning free
 What is the origin of liberalism?
 Emerged from the struggles of the new commercial class
that challenged the old feudal order in Europe
 The first liberal advocates were a faction of the Spanish
legislature who adopted the name Liberales in the early
1800s
 The movement spread to France, Great Britain and the
rest of Europe. In Great Britain, the party known as the
Whigs evolved by the 1840s into the Liberal Party
 What is the fundamental liberal
principle?

The fundamental liberal principle

grants primacy to liberty as a
political value
Manuel Roxas
Benigno Aquino Jr.

Liberty shall not

rest!
 Jovito Salonga

The weak shall be

strong, and the
strong shall be just.
 What are the core liberal values?

 Individualism - belief in the importance of the individual over any

social group or collective body
 Rationalism - exercise of human reason and critical inquiry
 Freedom - ability to think or act as one wish
 Responsibility - being responsible for oneself and one’s own
economic and social circumstance
 Justice - morally justifiable distribution of rewards and
punishment
 Tolerance - willingness to accept views or actions that one
disagrees
 How is liberalism different from
other ideologies?

Communism Socialism Liberalism Conservatism Fascism

 How is liberalism different from
other ideologies?
Communism Socialism Liberalism Conservatism Fascism

Individual Social Rational & Organic

Responsible
Individual Individual interest should be Freedom & Freedom & Order Order
and Society subordinated to the good of Political Equality
the society as a whole
Equality Equality of Ends Equality of Inherently Superior Race
Opportunities Unequal or Nation

State Economic Redistribution Protect Ensure traditional National Glory

Individual values
Liberty
Political Extreme Left Left Center Right Far Right
Spectrum
Mode of Change Revolution Democratic Elections Coup d’ etat
 What are the traditional and ideological
political forces in the Philippines?

Far Left Center Right Far

Left Right

Electoral

Mass Struggle

Armed Struggle
How is LP different from the rest?

 Traditional party transforming into a

principled reformist party
 Composed of political personalities who
seek a creative fusion of principles and
power
 Without power, principles are impotent.
Without principles, power is easily
prostituted to passing fancies
 Party of Tradition

The LP has
championed the
masses but has
also been a
traditional vehicle
of the elites.
Party of Principles

 Capable of acts of
conscience and political
sacrifice but have also
been occasionally infected
by corruption and
patronage
 August 21, 1971 – Plaza
Miranda Bombing
 August 21, 1983 – Aquino
Assassination
Party of Historic Ironies

 1947 Military Bases Agreement

 1991 Rejection of US Bases Treaty
 The Broad Liberal Movement
 The LP has endeavored to transform itself from its
traditional past to a vehicle of new politics in the
Philippines
 The LP has cooperated with various sectoral, non-
governmental and civil society organizations in various
issue advocacies and mass struggles over the years
 The LP has made efforts to strengthen its ranks among
established Allied Sectoral Groups (Youth, Women,
Urban Poor, Labor, etc.), and emerge as a truly mass-
based political party
 What are the other organizations that comprise the
broad liberal movement in the Philippines?

 National Institute of Policy Studies

(NIPS)
 Alliance of Liberal Youth (ALY)
 Liberal Caucus of Congressional Staff
(LCCS)
 National Institute of Policy
Studies (NIPS)
Principal political
institute that
undertakes programs
for the promotion of
liberalism and
democracy in the
Philippines
 Alliance of Liberal Youth (ALY)

The youth wing of the

Liberal Party.
 Liberal Caucus of
Congressional Staff (LCCS)

Allied sectoral organization of the Liberal

Party composed of the Congressional
Staff of LP legislators from the Senate
and the House of Representatives
 What are the other liberal
organizations working worldwide?
 Liberal International
 Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats
(CALD)
 International Federation of Liberal Youth
(IFLRY)
 Friedrich Naumann Foundation
 Liberal International

The world
federation of
liberal political
parties founded
in 1947
 Council of Asian Liberals and
Democrats (CALD)

Regional organization of
liberal and democratic
political parties in
Asia
 International Federation of
Liberal Youth (IFLRY)

International umbrella
organization of liberal
youth organizations
 Friedrich Naumann Foundation
 The Friedrich-Naumann-
Foundation is the
Foundation for liberal
politics from Germany
 The Foundation sees
itself as an agent of
organized liberalism. It
enjoys close links with
Germany's Free
Democratic Party (F.D.P.)
and Liberal International
(LI).
Liberals and Democrats in
Power Worldwide
 Reemerging Party
 Restoring trust in
government
 Making democracy work
for the poor
 Promoting compassion
for others
 Bringing back honesty
and decency in public
service
Mabuhay!