ACF’s political report looks at the 2007 midterm elections during the Arroyo administration’s legitimacy crisis. The report contends that while formal democratic channels already exist, Philippine politics is slipping into de-democratization. This slip is caused by systemic electoral fraud, such as “dagdag-bawas”, continuous political violence, political dynasties dominating, and the manipulation of democratic tools like the party-list system. Based on field monitoring and findings, it shows that key weaknesses exist in the integrity of the voting process, local warlordism, and regime or rebel coercion. To restore trust and protect democratic rights, the report outlines strategic recommendations, including a structural overhaul, leadership professionalization at COMELEC, the use of automated election counts, strict enforcement against political violence, and stronger legal protections for voters to restore credibility and the public’s trust ahead of the 2010 national elections.
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