Political and economic rights of liberal democracy were attained by the people in EDSA 1. In the following two decades, the people were vigilant and critical of politicians entangled in human rights violations, plunder, and profligacy. The politician’s popularity plummets and loses his standing in the eyes of the people. In fact, someone was ousted from office in 2001 for that sealed envelope his Senate allies refused to open, and another one was remorseful in her public apology for calling a Comelec official in 2005. It is perplexing that since 2016 until now, similar scandals have not pulled down the popularity of charismatic populist leaders in spite of broken promises and a foreign policy pivot that shabbily characterized as trash the momentous arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea. Something moved underneath our feet that numbed people to be indifferent to corruption scandals, extra-judicial killings, and the insolence of charismatic politicians.

Political rights are human rights against arbitrary and unlawful killing, holding regular and clean elections, freedom of the press and of speech and access to proper government services.

Economic rights relate to the workplace, social security, family life, participation in cultural life, and to housing, food, water, health care, and education. These include the right to decent wages and equal pay; the right to adequate protection in case of unemployment, sickness, or old age; or the right to an adequate standard of living.

After almost four decades from 1986, the gap between the rich and the poor remains wide. Less than one percent of the 18 Million Filipino families are wealthy based on the PSA. The promise of EDSA 1 of a better life for all has not been realized. The poor have no resources to form businesses and have no access to banks to borrow capital; their hungry and sometimes malnourished children who are not native English speakers writhe from a rotten education system that preserves the head start of the children of the rich who are well-fed, equipped with books, school gear, and even tutors; and the poor lack of influential connections that are indispensable for the enjoyment of economic rights.

Political rights are of no use to a person stuck in poverty. Joel Butuyan (Inquirer, September 7, 2023) theorized that the poor are weary of the struggle to survive because their time and energy are consumed by heavy work but with low pay, time-consuming commutes by public transport, and endless household chores. Fatigued, they prefer to sleep rather than reflect on the errors and wrongdoings of their darling politicians. The poor no longer place a premium on the political rights of fellow citizens for as long as it does not directly affect their families. This perhaps explains why the revelation of democratic leaders on extrajudicial killings and widespread corruption of charismatic snake oil politicians in these times no longer serve as kryptonite that liquefies the perpetrator’s feet made of clay as reflected in surveys.

Charismatic anti-democracy leaders pose as economic messiahs and champions of the poor. The masses honestly believe in ridiculous promises such as the eradication of the drug problem in 6 months through a bloody war on illegal drugs, jet skiing to the WPS and planting a flag in the contested islands, and the promise of P20/kilo of rice. It is the heyday of fake news and troll farms.

In due time, people will realize that they are just being taken for a ride by charismatic anti-democracy leaders who actually never had the intention of making better people’s lives as it is anathema to his or her interest to hold power embellished with lies and fear. The staggering indebtedness and misplaced priorities have taken a heavy toll on the wretched poor. As economic conditions aggravate, the ire of the masses will not be containable with ayuda, TUPAD, and price control placebos. Charismatic anti-democracy leaders will in the end find themselves in a pickle. As Lincoln once said, “You can fool all people some of the time and some people all the time. But you can never fool all people all the time.”

The process of restoring the people’s trust in democratic leaders will be accelerated when these leaders are able to present an alternative economic agenda attuned with the economic aspirations of the masses. Once in power, this agenda must be delivered with dispatch to preclude a comeback of charismatic anti-democracy charlatans. With a vigorous economy in place, the public’s esteem for political rights will be restored and never lost in a constitutional democracy.

Atty. Magi Gunigundo is a former lawmaker, civil law instructor, and author of law books. He is also an education reformer and an advocate of anticipatory governance.