User:Karlo Labrador/Democratic Party of the Philippines

Democratic Party of the Philippines

The Democratic Party of the Philippines (DPP), or otherwise known locally as Partido Democrata Filipina, is a political party that claims to position itself as the real "third force" against the traditional politicians locally known as "trapos" who it says dominate both the ruling and opposition parties in the country. It proclaims itself to be the alternative party of the Filipino people that leads the people's quest for dignity, freedom and justice. It declares to pursue a just and lasting peace as the foundation for economic development and progress. DPP allows its affiliate organizations to collaborate with the government in pursuing policy and institutional reforms and attempts to raise sectoral concerns and demands as basis for policy and legislative actions during such engagements. DPP vows to fight graft and corruption in both the local and national levels of government. DPP clearly states that it will pursue its political agenda through peaceful and democratic means.

DPP espouses non-violence, Filipinism, social justice, social democracy, representative democracy and grassroots democracy in its economic and political agenda. It promotes transformational politics and takes the lead in initiating transformational political actions. It promotes people empowerment through people’s participation and involvement. It encourages democratic consultation and dialogue with different sector-based organizations. It promotes social market economy as the framework for national economic development and global economic relations.

DPP has at its core base the growing ranks of educated and enlightened middle-class, young professionals, overseas Filipinos, retirees and senior citizens, and woes to its side the various progressive and democratic sectors of Philippines society, which includes trade unions and workers, farmers, fisher folks, women, rural and out-of-school youth, and the urban poor.

Most of the DPP's leaders, community organizers and activists were progressives and democrats who actively resisted the Marcos dictatorship, with some imprisoned during martial law. DPP stands at the center of the political spectrum, having a good sprinkling of former martial law activists, rebel soldiers and military officers, and Muslim separatists in its national leadership and membership ranks.

DPP prepares itself to participate actively in the forthcoming elections, after having been denied by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) whose ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2010. It will again seek accreditation with the COMELEC to be able to field national candidates.

It encourages enlightened participation by the electorates in the coming elections by giving the people a more active role in choosing their candidates through its proposed People’s Primaries. DPP is open for coalitions and alliances with other political parties, particularly with the greens and other progressive political groups to contest the dominance of the "trapos" and to strengthen the chances of legitimate people's candidates in winning during elections.

Party History

The establishment of an alternative political party to field candidates against the "trapos" or traditional politicians last 2010 was the brain child of its present secretary general Donato Flor de Liza, Jr. who collaborated with the late Dr. Ernesto Ramos, a FilAm from Florida, USA. The two agreed last February 2009 to make the necessary preparations to register the party. Although Flor de Liza had a heart attack last March 7, 2009 and stayed in ICU for 4 days, DPP's founding documents were signed at the Sulo Hotel in Quezon City on March 19, a day after he was released from hospital confinement.

Records show that DPP filed its petition for accreditation as a political party with the COMELEC last March 24, 2009. Unfortunately, with Dr. Ramos back in the US, this was followed by a lull which lasted for almost five months and the preparations of documents for submission to the COMELEC was not properly attended to. The tension that followed created rifts within the Party leadership, which bred intrigues and factionalism. Despite his frail health condition Flor de Liza worked with others to preserve the party and consolidate its leadership.

The DPP Executive Committee met on a weekly basis and more Party officers were recruited. Upon Dr. Ramos' arrival, the Interim National Directorate was convened last August 26, 2009 and improvements were made in the Party leadership. Dr. Ramos was elected party chairman, Col. Diosdado Valeroso, party president and Flor de Liza, secretary general. New officers were likewise confirmed by the Interim Nat'l. Directorate, and errant members removed. The COMELEC hearing of DPP's petition scheduled on August 28 was reset to Sept. 18, 2009.

The secretary general introduced parliamentary procedures, expanded the Executive Committee, established the National Secretariat and strengthened the DPP's governing bodies. The executive committee continued to meet weekly to consolidate the documents required by the COMELEC. Due to many cases heard by the COMELEC on Sept. 18, the hearing of the DPP petition was again reset to Sept. 30.

Some seriously erroneous ideas and methods were reported to have that crept into the DPP leadership and became matters of contention among themselves at that time. There were attempts by some of its leaders to hastily mobilize its regional and provincial coordinators into action with promises of financial rewards. This move catered to the traditional political tactics of taking shortcuts and courted with the mercenary membership mentality and culture encouraged by transactional politics. This resulted in non-committed membership, inadequate leadership development at the grass root level, inability of members to mobilize adequate resources, membership records not being validated, etc.

Due to the haphazard preparations of the documentary requirements of the COMELEC, DPP's petition was denied in a Resolution dated November 27, 2009. DPP lawyers filed a Motion for Reconsideration with the COMELEC on December 7, 2009.

Earlier, on December 2, 2009, determined to pursue his plans to run for president the late Dr. Ernesto Ramos filed his certificate of candidacy in the COMELEC main office together with Baldomero C. Falcone as his vice-president, and the following for senators: Fortunato F.L. Viray, Jr., Sally S. Sia, Ebenezer A. Martizano, Oscar T. Rodriguez, Rosalinda V. Dacanay, Cesar Pelaez, Jr., Rogelio C. Tomol, Wilhelmina S. Orozco, Fidel P. Lajum, Juliano M. Tallano and Arthur Clavo. The move drew mixed reactions both inside and outside DPP, particularly in the overseas Filipino community. Minutes of DPP's meetings showed that the secretary general earlier agreed to support the ticket but with reservation.

To delineate Dr. Ramos' candidacy from the long-term interest of the DPP, the EGR Support Group was created to support his bid. On December 15, 2009, the COMELEC promulgated Resolution No. 8713, disqualifying all of the above-mentioned candidates on the basis of being “nuisance candidates”. It did not also give due course to the accreditation of the DPP as a political party.

On December 18, 2009, Ramos et al filed an Opposition to the COMELEC Resolution No. 8713, with prayer that the cancellation of the Certificates of Candidacies of the individual oppositors be reconsidered and set aside and that the Certificates of Candidacy of Dr. Ramos and his group be given due course and to approve the registration papers of the DPP. On January 14, 2010, COMELEC promulgated Resolution No. 8743 to deny the oppositions/motions for reconsideration and to affirm Comelec Resolution No 8713 denying due course to the Certificates of Candidacy of several candidates, which included the Ramos slate.

On January 19, 2010, Ramos et al filed a Petition for Certiorari with Prayer for Preliminary Injunction with the Supreme Court of the Philippines under the new Rules on Civil Procedure questioning the COMELEC Resolution No. 8743. On January 29, 2010, the Supreme Court through its G.R No. 190803 resolved to dismiss the Petition for non-compliance with certain Rules of Procedure, and that the Supreme Court charges fees for the acceptance of cases including all petitions that question government actuation, which subvert the principles of the Constitution and which are anti-public interest.

Thus ended what DPP insiders describe as "the political speculation and infantile adventurism of certain groups" that marred the initial bid of DPP to participate in the electoral process. To change all these, DPP leaders decided to adopt the Western European model of serious, committed and dues-paying members who sustain both the activities and the finances of the party on a continuous basis. The DPP leadership believes that it is from such a committed membership base that genuine leaders emerge.

According to DPP leaders, DPP is now recruiting quality members and principled leaders to continue to pursue its avowed purposes and objectives of establishing genuine reforms in Philippine society and governance through the peaceful and evolutionary means of active parliamentary engagement.

Youth Arm

The Junior Filipino Democrats (JFD) is the official youth arm of the DPP for members with ages between 15 to 34 years old. It is composed of youth, students and young professionals who believe in and support DPP’s vision.

DPP envisions a truly democratic society where Filipinos live in peace and harmony, and where prosperity and progress provide everyone with equal rights and opportunities to attain self-fulfillment and growth. In this democratic future, young people will have all of the resources and opportunities they need to realize their true potential, no matter their background, and their chances in life are determined by their character and merits rather than their social status or connections.

JFD says it aims to demonstrate to the Filipino youth what a future guided by this vision will look like, through its positive example, practical policy proposals and peaceful direct actions. It serves as the training ground for future political leaders of our country, by involving the youth in understanding relevant issues and in taking peaceful direct actions towards addressing them.

JFD says that through organizational participation and involvement, it offers young Filipinos the opportunity to experience and learn how take control of the country’s future and put it back on the path to democracy, freedom and justice.

Social Movement

The Filipino Democratic Movement (FDM) is a national organization of patriotic Filipinos, with chapters among overseas Filipinos around the world, pushing for poverty alleviation, barangay-based development, genuine social justice, decentralized governance and autonomy, and patriotism and national solidarity in the homeland as the solid foundations for the attainment of national development and progress.

Evolving out of the Save Our Nation Movement, which was launched in 2008 to provide the framework of support for DPP's foiled bid to field candidates in the 2010 elections, the Filipino Democratic Movement is the social arm of the DPP tasked to assist in the implementation of its socio-economic programs. The movement pursues its developmental strategies parallel to DPP's political agenda.

While DPP positions itself to participate actively in the coming elections and over time become a major political party in the Philippine, it does not stop there. As an alternative political party DPP claims to promote transformational politics and take the lead in initiating transformational political actions.

DPP engages itself in socio-economic activities to demonstrate the do-ability of its programs to the people, earn their confidence and rally their support. DPP leaders describe itself as a political campaign machinery during elections, and a social movement during the periods before and after such elections. It continuously promotes grassroots democracy and builds its political strength from the bottom up.

The Filipino Democratic Institute

DPP's secretary general is mandated to establish and operate the Party Institute for education and training, and a foundation for livelihood programs. Section 4, Article 15 of the DPP Party Constitution tasks the secretary general "to establish and operate under his supervision, an institute for education and training for Party members, and a foundation for the implementation of livelihood programs and other socio-economic activities."