PHILIPPINE POLITICS

AND GOVERNANCE

First Semester
Quarter 2- Module 10:

Elections and Political Parties in the

Philippines

ARBE JOE M. GALARPE

Module Writer
Laguindingan National High School
Senior High School
What I Need To Know

Elections and political parties play an important role in the analysis of politics in
developing countries, particularly in the analysis of democratization, and specifically
the consolidation of democratic political regimes. Among political scientists, the
existence of free and fair elections on a regular basis is considered the minimal
condition for a democracy (democratic regime).

Module Content
In this module, you will be learning the basic concepts of State-Society Interaction, its
importance and implication to the Philippines as a democratic country.
These are the competencies included in this module:
 Describe the nature of elections and political parties in the Philippines
(HUMSS_PG12- IIc-d-6)
 Analyze the nature of elections and political parties in the Philippines
(HUMSS_PG12- IIc-d-9 )

What I Know (Pretest)

This activity will enable you to assess your prior knowledge from the topic that will
be discussed in this lesson.
Direction: Read and understand each item carefully. Encircle the letter of your
choice.
1. It is a government body tasked to enforce all laws and regulations relative to the
conduct of elections in the Philippines.
A. BIR B. DSWD C. COMELEC
2. The process by which voters in a country select the official who will exercise the
powers of the government for a period fixed by law.
A. Selection B. Election C. Screening
3. The right to vote in political elections is called ________?
A. Power B. Expression C. Suffrage
4. The Republic Act authorizing COMELEC to implement an automated system of
election is?
A. R.A. 8436 B. R.A. 8346 C. R.A. 8463
5. The first national election that utilized an automated election system was in the
year?
A. 2010 B. 2016 C. 2001
6. An organized group of people who have the same ideology or who otherwise have
the same political positions, and who field candidates for elections is
called_______?
A. Group B. Organization C. Political Party
7. Minor parties are called _______?
A. Organization B. Partylist C. Party
8. Refers to the ability of the parties to respond to and articulate the views of
members and voters.
A. Representation B. Socialization c. Goal formulation
9. This function of a political party has something to do with parties acting as agents
of political education.
A. Goal formulation B. Representation C. Socialization and mobilization
10. This function of a political party provide a training ground for politicians.
A. Elite formation and recruitment B. Socialization C. Goal formulatio
 LESSON 1. ELECTION

What’s New

Activity 1. Anagram
Arrange the scrambled letter to form the correct word.

What Is It

Election is the process by which voters in a country select the official who will
exercise the powers of the government for a period fixed by law.
Elections in the Philippines are of several types. The president, vice-president, and
the senators are elected for a six-year term, while the members of the House of
Representatives, governors, vice-governors, members of the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan (provincial board members), mayors, vice-mayors, members of the
Sangguniang Panlungsod/members of the Sangguniang Bayan (city/municipal
councilors), barangay officials, and the members of the Sangguniang
Kabataan (youth councilors) are elected to serve for a three-year term.

There are two types of Elections:

1. Regular Election- one conducted nationwide or in certain political subdivisions of
the country. This is normally done through balloting.
2. Special Election- one conducted to select the official through balloting, who shall
serve for the unexpired part of the term for which the incumbent has been elected.
The vacancy might be due to death, incapacitated, or is recalled.
Who can vote
Every citizen of the Philippines, not otherwise disqualified by law, 18 years of age or
above on the day of the election, who has resided in the Philippines for one year and
in the city or municipality wherein he or she proposes to vote for at least six moths
immediately preceding the election , may register as a voter. To exercise the right to
vote (Suffrage), the qualified elector must be registered in the permanent list of
voters for the city or municipality in which he or she resides.
Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police
(PNP), and other government officers and employees, who are duly registered voters,
are allowed to vote for the positions of President, Vice President, Senators, and
Party-list Representatives on election day in places where they are not registered
voters but where they are temporarily assigned to perform their duties on the day of
election. This is known as local absentee voting.
Filipino citizen who are in other countries, not otherwise disqualified by law, aged at
least 18 years old, are allowed to vote for the President, Vice President, Senators,
and Party-list Representatives.

The COMELEC
The Commission on Elections, usually abbreviated as COMELEC, is one of the
three constitutional commissions of the Philippines, others being the Civil Service
Commission (CSC) and the Commission on Audit (COA). The COMELEC’s principal
role is to enforce all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of elections in the
Philippines.
The powers and functions of the COMELEC are conferred upon it by the 1987
Constitution and the Omnibus Election Code. They are classified into:
 Administrative- refers to the enforcement and administration of election laws.The
COMELEC is authorize to issue rules and regulations to implement the
provisions of the 1987 Constitution and the Omnibus Election Code.
 Quasi-legislative- refers to the issuance of rules and regulations to implement
the election laws and to exercise such legislative functions as may expressly be
delegated to it by Congress.
 Quasi-judicial- embraces the power to resolve controversies arising from the
enforcement of election laws, and to be the sole judge of all pre-proclamation
controversies; and of all contests relating to the elections, returns, and
qualifications.

Automated Election System

In 1997, RA 8436 was passed into law, authorizing COMELEC to implement an
automated system in the May 1998 elections, and in subsequent national and local
elections. However, “lack of preparation, time and funding” led to the use of the
automated process only in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi in the
1998 elections. In 2001, the COMELEC’s failure to launch a public education
campaign on the new election process led to the unintended exclusion of an
estimated 3 to 6 million voters.
In 2007, RA 9369, amending RA 8436, was passed “to encourage transparency,
credibility, fairness, and accuracy of elections.” An automated electoral process on a
nationwide scale was first enforced in the 2010 elections, which brought President
Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to power. The multinational company, Smartmatic, was
chosen to supply the hardware and software for electronic voting. A few weeks
before the elections, the memory chips of the vote counting machines were found to
be faulty, and candidates like former President Joseph Estrada petitioned to
postpone the elections and revert to manual polls. Elections pushed through as
scheduled, however, because all technical problems were deemed to have been
addressed. Four hundred sixty-five vote counting machines were reported as
malfunctional, but 75,882 machines worked smoothly. Compared to past elections
where the winners were known after weeks or months, local winners were
determined in a few hours, while half of the national winners were known after a day.
An international group of observers of the 2010 Elections pointed out that the new
system did not prevent the usual problems like vote-buying, intimidation of voters,
harassment of candidates, campaigning against militant groups, and the presence of
military men and armed goons in precincts.

What’s More!

Activity 2. True or False

Direction: Write T if the statement is TRUE and Write F if the statement is FALSE.
Please do write your answer on the given space before each number.

_____ 1. Special Election is done when the position is vacant due to death,
incapacitated, or is recalled.
_____ 2. The acronym AFP stands for ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES.
_____ 3. R.A No. 8536 was created authorizing COMELEC to use an automated
election system.
_____ 4. Quasi-judicial power of the COMELEC refers to the enforcement and
administration of election laws.
_____ 5. Every Filipino should be 18 years old or above on the day of election to
exercise their right to vote.
_____ 6. A certain Filipino voter can participate on the day of the election though
they are not included on the registered master list of COMELEC.
_____ 7. Regular Election is conducted nationwide or in certain political subdivisions
of the country.
_____ 8. COMELEC is composed of a Chairman and six Commissioners who are
natural-born citizens of the Philippines.
_____ 9. The president, vice-president, and the senators are elected for a six-year
term.
_____ 10. The 2001 election was the first national election that utilized an automated
election system.
What I Have Learned

Activity 3. Let’s Reflect!

1. What is an election for?

2. What will people get in casting their votes during elections?

3. What is your opinion about the vote buying?

What I Can Do
Activity 4. Picture Perfect!
What does this picture tells you?

___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________

Adapted from:https://www.philstar.com/pilipino-star-ngayon/opinyon/2019/05/17/191
8444/editoryal-sawatain-ang-vote-buying
 LESSON 2. POLITICAL PARTIES

What’s in
Activity 1. Review
Complete the statement.

In the previous lesson I learned that______________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

What’s New
Activity 2. Match Up!
Draw a LINE to connect each pair of boxes. Left (logo of parties), right (Name of
Parties).
What is it

Definition and Nature of Political Parties

A political party is an organized group of people who have the same ideology, or who
otherwise have the same political positions, and who field candidates for elections, in
an attempt to get them elected and thereby implement the party's agenda. They are
a defining element of representative democracy.
Effective political parties play an important role in the democratization and political
maturity of society. They serve as vehicles for collective action and empowerment of
their constituencies.

The following are characteristics of parties that distinguish them from other groups:

1. They aim to exercise government power by winning seats in the government.

2. They are formally organized bodies with “card carrying” membership. Membership
involves taking formal oath.
3. They adopt a broad issue focus and address major areas of government policy.
4. They are united by shared political preferences and ideological identity to varying
degrees.

There are three types of parties in the Philippines. These are: (a) major parties,
which typically correspond to traditional political parties; (b) minor parties or party-list
organizations, which rely on the party-list system to win Congressional seats; and (c)
regional or provincial parties, which correspond to region-wide or province-wide
organizations, respectively.

Five major parties are listed below:

Philippine English
Abbreviation Leader Founded Ideology
name name
Partido Philippine
Demokratiko Democratic Aquilino Democratic
PDP-Laban 1983
Pilipino-Laka Party-Peopl Pimentel III socialism
s ng Bayan e's Power
Nacionalista Nationalist Manuel
NP 1907 Conservatism
Party Party Villar, Jr.
Nationalist People's Giorgidi B. Liberal
NPC 1992
Coalition Aggabao conservatism
Lakas–Christi Power-Chris
Ferdinand Christian
an Muslim tian Muslim Lakas-CMD 2008
Romualdez Democracy
Democrats Democrats
Partido Francis
Liberal Party LP 1946 Liberalism
Liberal Pangilinan
Parties represented in Congress:
Philippine English
Abbreviation Leader Founded Ideology
name name
Elpidio Social
National Unity Party NUP 2011
Barzaga Jr. conservatism
Laban ng Fight of
Bella Fiscal
Demokratikon Democratic LDP 1988
Angara conservatism
g Pilipino Filipinos
Citizens' Risa
Akbayan Akbayan 1998 Progressivism
Action Party Hontiveros
Gregorio Right
United Nationalist Alliance UNA 2012
Honasan libertarianism
New
Bagumbayan
Nation-Volu
-Volunteers Bagumbaya Richard
nteers for a 2009 Voluntarism
for a New n-VNP Gordon
New
Philippines
Philippines
Partido Federal
Reynaldo
Federal ng Party of the PFP 2018 Federalism
Umali
Pilipinas Philippines
Aksyon Democratic Social
Aksyon Vico Sotto 1997
Demokratiko Action democracy
Centrist Democratic Party of Rufus
CDP 2010 Centrism
the Philippines Rodriguez

Narciso
People's Reform Party PRP 1991 Reformism
Santiago
Jr.
Pwersa ng Force of the
Joseph
Masang Filipino PMP 1991 Populism
Estrada
Pilipino Masses

Party-lists represented in Congress

These parties won more than 2% of the vote.

Philippine Name English Translation Abbreviation Ideology/sector

Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community
ACT-CIS Counterterrorism
Involvement and Support Partylist
Democratic
Bayan Muna Bayan Muna
Socialism
Ako Bicol Political I am Bicol Political Bicolano ethnic
AKB
Party Party interests
One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized
1-PACMAN Filipino Nationalism
Nationals
Functions of Political Parties
1. Representation
 Representation refers to the ability of the parties to respond to and articulate
the views of members and voters.
 Political parties are expected to represent the causes of the people they
claim to be supportive of.
2. Elite formation and recruitment
 Political parties provide a training ground for politicians.
 These political parties train their members to become future presidents, if not
to occupy high positions in the government.
3. Goal formulation
 Political parties become a source of policy initiation and provide the
electorate a choice of realistic and achievable goals.
 Whatever policies are carried out in the Philippines are a product of these
parties
4. Interest articulation and aggregation
 Political parties in the Philippines are expected to be the voice of the people
who supported them. Officials who are members of different political parties
engage in discussions to aggregate the varying interests of people.
5. Socialization and mobilization
 Political parties serve as agents of political education and socialization
through a series of internal debates and discussions, and through
campaigning and electoral competition.
6. Organization of government
 Political parties help in the formation of governments. Parties also give
governments a degree of stability and coherence. Similarly, they are a vital
source of opposition and criticism, both inside and outside the government.
 Political parties are instrumental in the creation of an administration. The
creation of majority or dominant parties after the election period highlights
the creation of an administration. Whatever is not part of the administration
usually becomes the opposition.

What’s More
Activity 3. Match More!
Direction: Match Column A from Column B.Write your answer on the given space
before each number.
Column A Column B
___1. PDP-Laban A. Filipino Nationalism
___2. Liberal Party B. Federalism
___3. Nationalist Party C. Right libertarianism
___4. ACT-CIS D. Voluntarism
___5. Federal Party of the Philippines E. Christian Democracy
___6.1-PACMAN F. Democratic Socialism
___7. Aksyon G. Counterterrorism
___8. UNA H. Liberalism
___9. Lakas-CMD I. Conservatism
___10. Bayan Muna J. Democratic socialism
K. Social democracy
What I Have Learned
Activity 4. Let’s Reflect!
Answer the following questions.

1. How do political parties differ from other groups?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

2. What are some of the functions of political parties?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

3. Do you think party and party-list system in the Philippines are effective? Explain
your answer.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

What I Can Do
Activity 5. Pro-Con Grid
Instruction: Fill in the grid with the pros (advantage) and cons (disadvantage) of
having Political Parties in the Philippines.

Pro (Advantage) Con (Disadvantage)

Post Assessment

Direction: Read and understand each item carefully. Encircle the letter of your
choice.

1. The Republic Act authorizing COMELEC to implement an automated system of

election is?
A. R.A. 8463 B. R.A. 8346 C. R.A. 8436
2. The process by which voters in a country select the official who will exercise the
powers of the government for a period fixed by law.
A. Election B. Screening C. Selection
3. The first national election that utilized an automated election system was in the
year?
A. 2001 B. 2010 C. 2016
4. It is a government body tasked to enforce all laws and regulations relative to the
conduct of elections in the Philippines.
A. DSWD B. COMELEC C. BIR
5. The right to vote in political elections is called _______________?
A. Power B. Expression C. Suffrage
6. This function of a political party has something to do with parties acting as agents
of political education.
A. Goal formulation B. Representation C. Socialization and mobilization
7. Minor parties are called _______?
A. Organization B. Partylist C. Party
8. This function of a political party provide a training ground for politicians.
A. Elite formation and recruitment B. Socialization C. Goal formulation
9. An organized group of people who have the same ideology or who otherwise have
the same political positions, and who field candidates for elections is
called_______?
A. Group B. Organization C. Political Party
10. Refers to the ability of the parties to respond to and articulate the views of
members and voters.
A. Representation B. Socialization c. Goal formulation
 CONGRATULATIONS FOR COMPLETING THIS MODULE!
You are now ready for the next Module!

Answer Key
References

DepEd. Philippine Politics and Governance. July 9, 2020. https://www.deped.gov.ph

/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Philippine-Politics-and-Governance.pdf.

Filipinas Heritage Library. A History of Automated Elections in the Philippines. July10,

2020.https://www.filipinaslibrary.org.ph/articles/a-history-of-automated-elections-in-t
he-philippines/.

Wikipedia. Political Party. July 11, 2020.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_party.

Wikipedia. List of Political Parties in the Philippines. July 12, 2020. https://en.wikip
edia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_the_Philippines.