Beyond Moralism: Patronage as a Structural Problem in Philippine Democracy
This essay examines vote-buying and patronage politics in Philippine democracy, challenging the dominant middle-class view that treats electoral patronage primarily as voter ignorance or moral failure. Drawing on research from Manila’s informal settlements, the analysis reveals how vote-buying functions as a rational survival strategy for impoverished communities facing precarious living conditions and absent state services. However, the essay argues that both the civic sphere’s moralistic condemnation and a purely sympathetic structural analysis fail to address the circular trap at the heart of patronage politics: politicians who win through patronage networks have no incentive to build universal public services, while poor voters remain dependent on individual patrons rather than demanding systemic change. Moving beyond this impasse requires strategic intervention that addresses material inequality, builds universal service provision, and creates cross-class coalitions for structural transformation rather than continuing the ineffective cycle of voter education campaigns and moral appeals.