Filipino Democracy and the American Legacy

The American legacy in the Philippines rests upon an indigenous Filipino culture—a humane social tradi tion with a respect for powerful leadership—and the influence of authoritarian Spanish rule for over 300 years that never theless introduced the values of Christianity. Led by Emilio Aguinaldo, the Philippine Revolution liberated the Philip pines from the Spanish in 1898, with the assistance of the United States, but the U.S. annexed the islands, determined to make of it a democracy in the American image. Promises were made and kept to withdraw in 1946. Over the years, several political and administrative changes were made that came close to meeting initial objectives. Economically, however, the poor remained poor, and wealthy elites dominated the country. The Japanese occupation was a severe blow to democratic trends. After the war, Filipinos also found themselves isolated from the rest of Asia, in part because of their dependence on the United States. Martial law, introduced by Ferdinand Marcos in 1972 as a form of "constitutional authoritarianism," lays stress on internal order, economic growth, national security, and better relations with Asian and socialist states. At the moment, many demo cratic practices of the past are suspended, although the con centrated power of Marcos is moderated by the values of Christianity, liberal democracy, and Filipino tradition, most of which were encouraged during the American period.