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Asia and Oceania

Philippines
Last reviewed: 12 October 2009

Country information

Politics

Recent political developments

President Macapagal Arroyo's main policy priorities include economic reform, poverty reduction, infrastructure development and the fight against terrorism. She has had some success, particularly in reducing government debt and promoting economic growth. However more ambitious reforms have been hampered by Congressional inertia and her own loss of credibility. Allegations of vote-rigging in the 2004 elections have been followed by a number of corruption scandals, including allegations of involvement by the President or her close family.

While unproven, these allegations have strengthened President Arroyo’s political opponents and led to widespread public dissatisfaction.  She has survived four impeachment complaints, as well as a coup attempt by junior military officers in 2003. However appetite for a third “People Power” revolution seems muted, with opposition groups more focused on securing an electoral victory in 2010.

System of government/elections

The Philippines' political system is modelled on that of the US. There is an executive Presidency and a two-chamber legislature (Congress), comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Presidential term of office is six years, with no possibility of re-election.

The Senate has 24 members, elected for six-year terms on the basis of national voting. The House of Representatives has 220 directly elected members representing Congressional districts, and up to 55 “party list” members whose organisations are voted for alongside district representatives. Representatives are elected for three-year terms.

Elections for seats in half the Senate and the House of Representatives are held every three years.  Provincial and municipal elections are held at the same time. Ballot lists are long and complex and vote counting is slow. Recent elections have been tainted by violence and corruption during the election campaign, election day and post-election counting period. To lower the opportunities for election fraud, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is currently undertaking voting automation.

The last General elections were held in May 2007. The Opposition won the majority of the Senate seats available, but the President's support in the lower House was strengthened. The next General and Presidential elections will be in May 2010.

There are ongoing discussions and initiatives for constitutional change, including proposals  to shift from the current form of government to a parliamentary system, as well as to remove economic provisions restricting foreign ownership. Constitutional change is a controversial issue and none of these initiatives has yet been implemented.

Internal conflicts

The Philippines is affected by two internal armed conflicts. The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), seek a “national democratic revolution”. NPA units are present in rural areas throughout the Philippines.  

The NPA carries out guerrilla attacks on Philippine military and police forces. Companies and landowners that refuse demands for “revolutionary taxes” have also had their property and equipment attacked. There have been no substantive peace talks between the government and the communists since 2004.

The second conflict is between the government and armed groups seeking an independent Muslim state on the southern island of Mindanao. Mindanao was once predominantly Muslim but migration from other parts of the Philippines has changed the religious and ethnic balance. In 1996 a peace deal was signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), creating the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). However a splinter group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Movement (MILF), continued the armed struggle.  

A cease-fire with the MILF was signed in 2003 but peace negotiations broke down in August 2008. An initial outbreak of violence led to large scale displacement of civilians. Around 300,000 remain internally displaced. There are ongoing clashes between elements of the MILF and the armed forces.

Terrorist groups Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf are also present in Mindanao. They are alleged to use MNLF and MILF camps. Although the Armed Forces have had significant successes, particularly against Abu Sayyaf, there is a high threat from terrorism throughout the Philippines. Kidnap-for-ransom is also increasingly common in some areas of Mindanao.  

Please see our Travel Advice for further information.

Human rights

The Philippines is a functioning democracy with a flourishing civil society and a lively independent media. It is one of only a few countries in South-East Asia to have abolished the death penalty and has acceded to all the core UN Human Rights Treaties. It performs particularly strongly in areas such as gender equality and migrants rights.

However implementation of legislation designed to protect human rights is often poor. International concern has been expressed about the numbers of unexplained killings and disappearances in the Philippines, and the government’s apparent inability to address this problem.  Killings with a suspected political motivation have decreased markedly over recent years, but there is still international concern about the lack of prosecutions and continued unexplained killings of suspected criminals.  Other human rights concerns include use of torture and poor detention conditions, recruitment of child soldiers by insurgent groups, child labour, violence against women and sexual abuse of children, including by travelling sex offenders.

Philippine Commission on Human Rights

Country information

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Travel Advice

Travel Advice: Philippines   

See Also

Useful Links

• BBC News Country Timeline: Philippines
• UKTI Country Profile Philippines

Contacts

Copyright 2009 Foreign & Commonwealth Office