For captain Filomena "Mena" Cinco, having constituents call the attention of local officials to their mistakes is a big deal for her barangay.

 

To encourage them, she has set up a dropbox in front of the barangay hall in Zone 42, in Sampaloc, Manila, where citizens can file complaints or simply air out their concerns.

 

"Kapag walang accountability, kapag walang pumupuna sa maling ginagawa ng mga inihalal ay hindi po ma-ko-correct ang maling gawain. Kasi ito, tino-tolerate natin eh," said Cinco.

 

(When there's no accountability, when no one criticizes the wrongdoings of elected officials, these will not be corrected and will only be tolerated.)

 

She admitted that the initiative was ineffective at first. "Hirap po talaga kasi baka mapag-initan... Mangilanilan lang talaga 'yung may lakas ng loob na punain ang maling ginagawa namin, ako in particular," she recalled.

 

(It was really difficult because people were wary of the potential backlash. Only a few dare to criticize what we're doing wrong, particularly me.)

 

Over time, Cinco observed the comments pouring in from her ka-barangays and urged her fellow captains not to betray their trust.

 

Moreover, Cinco held regular general assemblies during her time as barangay chairperson, not as a mere formality but as an open invitation for dialogue. By inviting feedback, she created a culture where the people felt involved in the decisions that directly impacted their lives, turning leadership into a truly participatory process.

 

"Leaders need to listen," she emphasized, "and to be held accountable by the people who elected them."

 

Cinco's initiatives are an example of "vertical accountability," or the practice of voters holding leaders accountable through elections, protests, and legal means, according to Dr. Anthony Lawrence Borja, associate professor in political science and development at De La Salle University (DLSU).

 

In an online forum, "Aligning Citizenship Political Education: Lessons from the DLSU-JRIG study, 'Vertical Accountability: Reforming Representation in the Philippines,'" held on July 26, Borja highlighted participation and accountability as "pillars" of democracy, arguing that the country is facing problems in both areas.

 

"Even if most Filipino know or think that they can change the government, they don't think they are capable of participating at all. Many of them think they are not capable of understanding what's happening in politics," Borja pointed out during the brown bag discussion organized by the International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in Governance (INCITEGov).

 

A study on Vertical Accountability, co-authored by professor Francisco Magno, Borja, and graduate student Jeuny Mari Custodio from DLSU, found that while the Philippines "does not have a problem with voter turnout," there is a need to extend political participation beyond elections.

 

"We have weak political parties. We have dysfunctional means to aggregate interests and parties are supposed to serve as a bridge between the government and the citizens," Borja noted.

 

Without this, he said the Philippines has "very personalistic processes" that bank on political patronage and regular party switching that lead to weak accountability measures.

 

Agreeing with Borja, Cinco added that national politicians often only show up when the elections are approaching. She cited the housing issue in Manila as an example, where there has been a perennial concern for the lack of legislation for a 10-meter legal easement for informal settler families.

 

As part of the Komisyon Organisasyon ng Samahang Maralitang Tagalungsod, she lamented the inaction of higher government officials, who tend to focus on attending wakes and birthday parties and giving away electric fans or tents.

 

Cinco said: "Palagi naming naririnig 'Noted po, pag-aaralan po namin 'yan.' [P]ero kung constant na i-demand po natin sila sa accountability nila na ito ay kanilang mga obligasyon, dahil sila ay halal ng bayan. Dapat talaga patuloy ang pagkalampag natin sa kanila."

 

(We always hear, 'This is noted; we will study this proposal.' But we have to constantly demand accountability from them, that this is their obligation, because they were elected by the people. We should keep them on their toes.)

 

Commitment vs vote buy-and-sell

 

Youth leaders are fostering accountability in their own way, too, according to Justine Balane, chairperson of Akbayan Youth.

 

Conventional vote-buying arrangements have emerged over the years, he noted, including the use of digital payments and installments which are "harder to track." But in the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls, Akbayan trained and supported 1,400 candidates-700 of whom won-who all swore against vote buying.

 

"They also wouldn't want to be known as a candidate from among that cohort na sila 'yung namili ng boto [who engaged in vote-buying]," Balane said.

 

He stressed the importance of having an avenue for citizens to make "public commitments to not sell their votes" rather than encouraging acceptance of payments and then voting with their conscience.

 

By fostering peer-to-peer relations, Akbayan encouraged voters and candidates to commit to avoiding vote-buying, reinforcing a sense of responsibility within the community.

 

"When individuals within a group agree to uphold these values together, the peer pressure and collective accountability become powerful," he explained. This approach created a strong foundation where voters felt empowered to reject any offers of money in exchange for votes, knowing that their neighbors were committed to doing the same.

 

Borja, whose research interest is in political psychology, said vote buying and selling are typically "driven by short-term and immediate interests."

 

Akbayan's model, however, "redirected to more public-mindedness" that Borja said is a characteristic of vertical accountability.

 

"Imbis na sabihin mo na mali, imbis na sabihin na dignidad mo 'yung binebenta mo, we can actually tell the person 'pag binenta mo boto mo, babawiin din ng kandidato 'yung binigay sayo," he added.

 

(Rather than saying 'it is wrong' or 'you are selling your dignity', we can tell the person that 'If you buy your vote, the candidate will take that back later.')

 

Spreading political energies

 

In addressing issues of vote buying, political dynasties, and weak party systems, Borja said civil political education should focus on making information more accessible to ordinary Filipinos and increasing citizens' demand for accountability.

 

Some examples include creating performance dashboards, developing other means of political representation, and reforming campaign finance rules to enhance electoral competition.

 

"Civic political education must be geared towards more listening and letting us process with them through concerns and kung ano 'yung mga issue nila [what their issues are]," he said.

 

For Balane, this means exercising "shared decision-making" such as in participatory budgeting or homeowners associations discussing potential changes in the barangay.

 

"If we are able to have our electorate and imagine our politicians as nurturing parents rather than as a strict father, then maybe we can awaken the better angels of our fellow Filipino electorates," he said, referring to former president Rodrigo Duterte's administration.

 

Meanwhile, former barangay captain Cinco said community development and people's participation remain a challenge. But she believes her small actions can influence others, especially younger barangay chiefs.

 

"Patuloy niyo lang 'yan kahit na makahikayat pa ulit kayo ng dalawa o tatlo, malaking bagay. Unti-unti natin baguhin ang mukha ng barangay," she said.

 

(Just keep doing what you're doing. Even if you can influence just one or two people, that's already huge. Slowly, we can change the face of the barangay.) ?