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THE RULEMAKERS: How the Wealthy and Well-Born Dominate Congress

By Sheila Coronel, Yvonne Chua, Luz Rimban, and Booma Cruz
PART I: Houses of Privilege
NOT VERY REPRESENTATIVE, POLITICS AS PROFESSION, A MILLIONAIRES CLUB, SENATE IS THE MORE
EXCLUSIVE HOUSE, POLITICS AS BUSINESS
The legislature has always been the bastion of the wealthy. But there have been changes. There are now
many more women in Congress than ever before. Todays legislators are also better educated. The
sources of their wealth are more diverse, so that Congress can no longer be described as a landlord-
dominated legislature. The caciques of old have been replaced by real-estate developers, bankers,
stockbrokers, and assorted professionals and businesspeople. In the Senate, movie and media celebrities
dominate. Still, the reality is that a congress of multimillionaires makes laws for a poor country.
I. NOT VERY REPRESENTATIVE
- No legis in the world is completely representative of its citizens. Even in the most advanced
democracies, legislators mostly male, generally richer and better- educated than the people they
represent.
-PH among the democracies where members of the legislature are so different from their constituents in
terms of social status, education, and purchasing power
-typical Filipino legislator: male, middle aged, college-educated, most likely w/ a degree in law,
previously held a local govt post, a member of a political family, w/ a sibling, father, grandfather who
had been voted into public office in the past, likely related to a former legislator, into business, has
multiple income sources, well-off w/ a net worth of around 10-million that is most likely understated in
his statement of assets; likely that the longer stays in Congress, the richer he becomes
-typical Filipino: likely below 35, w/ few years of high-school education and an annual family income of
about P150,000 in 2000
-changes in the post-Marcos era: many more women in Congress, better-educated w/ many boasting of
post-grad degrees, with more diverse source of wealth, more business interests represented in Congress
such that Congress can no longer be described as landlord-dominated, caciques replaced by real-
estate developers, bankers, stockbrokers, and assorted professionals and businesspeople
-changes reflect changes in PH economy: decline of agri and extractive industries (logging, mining) and
the increasing importance of manufacturing, trade, and services changes obvious since 1960s when
new men from biz and professions got elected to Congress
-rise of new legislators reflected increasing political assertiveness of new sections of the biz elite and
upper professional class that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s that saw the birth of a manufacturing
sector that produced previously imported goods for the local market
-many who became part of manufacturing capitalists were large landowners
-professional middle-class and local traders joined ranks of the new rich then sought seats in Congress
-PH legislatures have been hospitable to the entry of the newly affluent

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THE RULEMAKERS: How the Wealthy and Well-Born Dominate Congress
By Sheila Coronel, Yvonne Chua, Luz Rimban, and Booma Cruz
-Post-Marcos Congress more diverse in composition: old landowning families + new entreps (esp those
in construction, real estate, and services that emerged among the fastest-growing economic sectors in
the late 1980s and 1990s + middle class professionals (esp. leading lawyers from leading law firms) +
leaders of NGOs + local officials/govt bureaucrats + celebrities from movies, mass media, and sports
-Congress seat can be used as a passport to the land of deal-making, allowing aspiring politicians entry
to the bastions of great wealth and privilege; Congress has become an agent of mobility
-Entry of party-list reps in the 11
th
and 12
th
Congress enlarged that range, as it gave reps of marginalized
social sectors seats in the legis, but Congress remains to be a fortress of privilege, its gates open to the
new and aspiring rich but closed00except for some narrow openingsto poor and powerlesss
-Present-day Congress remains a CONSERVATIVE INSTITUTION, resistant to reform and more inclined to
preserve the privileges of the few
-Congress is aging: reps older now than they were in the pre-martial law period
-Because 1987 Constitution banned public officials to serve more than 3 consecutive terms, younger
legislators who are usually related to those who were already in office, were able to replace the older
ones; Generational shift took place in Congress in 1998 and again in 2001, w/c have more reps below 35
than at any time in the past
-Age, an index of the openness of legislatures to new entrants: young reps mean that age and relative
experience not barriers to entry; also an indication of the continuity of a legislative body and the
longevity in that body of serving representatives
-Younger people assumed to be more idealistic, less likely to defend the established order, but that is
not always the case: Example: 2nd- and 3
rd
-generation politicians in the post-Marcos House can be
conservative and as opportunistic as their elders
-Age an indication of the ideological bent of a legislature
-FIRST POST-WAR CONGRESS: Opened in 1946; attributed to the disruptions of WWII and the
establishment of a new republic; despite its relative youth, that Congress was a conservative assembly
that ousted leftist reps and approved granting parity rights to US citizens; average age of reps in 1946
was 45, average age increased as reps got re-elected
-POST-MARCOS CONGRESS: considerably older; despite closure of Congress in 72 and election of rubber
stamp parliament in 78 and 84, legis that was elected after the fall of Marcos not a break but a
continuation of the past; only 1/3 were new entrants to politics
-FUNCTION OF TERM LIMITS: A corrective to the aging of Congress over time
-Trend in terms of age: continued advantage of age and incumbency despite term limits; older
legislators tended to be in public life longer, having previously elected either to Congress or local govt
office. Examples of reps who served in the pre-Marcos Congress and who came from well-established
political clans : (a) Alejandro Almendras who served 6 terms pre-martial law Senate and elected to 9
th

and 10
th
Congress, (b) Herminio Teves, 81 when he was elected in 2001; (c) Emilio Espinosa, 79, (d)
Carlos Imperial, 71

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THE RULEMAKERS: How the Wealthy and Well-Born Dominate Congress
By Sheila Coronel, Yvonne Chua, Luz Rimban, and Booma Cruz
-Trend in terms of sex: Legislature continued to be male-dominated; recall that until 1937, only men
were allowed to vote and be elected to public office; in 1960s, women in Congress were wives who had
taken over the seats vacated by their husbands who either died or moved on to other posts
-Glass ceiling for women obvious in legislature, even if there are many more women in PH Congress than
there are in other Asian parliaments; even if the PH had 2 women presidents, women in public office are
still the minority from the brgy level up; few women make it on their own; SADLY, once in office few
women take womens causes and many end up being trapos in skirts or pale shadows of their husbands
or fathers
-SOME WOMEN REPS DEMONSTRATED THEY CAN BE ON THEIR OWN even if they come from political
clans: Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, Krisel lagman-Luistro, and Darlene Antonino-Custodio take active part in
congressional debates and have taken up cudgels for womens rights
-Some of the MOST OUTSPOKEN women in the legis come from the PARTY LIST: Etta Rosales of Akbayan
(now CHR chair), Patricia Sarenas of womens group Abanse!
-Professional women also have a place in Congress like Zenaida Cruz-Ducut, a lawyer, fiscal and law prof
before being elected councillor and Pampanga rep in 1995
II. POLITICS AS PROFESSION
-1898: triumphant PH revolution convened a congress to draft a consti and make laws for the new
republic; they chose to do it in Malolos (hence Malolos Consti); delegates elected to that congress were
the best and brightest of the generation: included 43 LAWYERS, 17 Physicians, and other professionals.
This delegates were mainly landowners, elected to municipal officers under the Spanish rule
-Malolos Congress hardly representative of the nation; delegates differed a lot from the typical Filipino
in terms of class, education
-The gap in Malolos still present: there is bias for education, propriety wealth, professional qualification;
reflects Filipino values education the most; also reflects what it takes to be in public office
-POLITICS as a profession requires education, training, and experience; early exposure to life an
advantage and this is where political families have an edge; also, a congressional post is not for the poor
-Distinct political class: the modern principalia, a reference to the educated, landed, and privileged
Filipinos who held local office during the Spanish era and became agents of colonial administration; like
the old principalia, the modern principalia monopolized both political office and economic power in
their communities
-The landscape changed most dramatically when celebrities entered politics even w/o education and
experience especially in the Senate
-Majority of reps still TRAINED IN LAW, EVEN IF they no longer practice; law a preferred profession since
19
th
century especially those who want to pursue a political career
-WHY LAW AS A STEPPING STONE? Legal training helps in preparing bills, taking part in debates, and in
understanding the working of govt, develop network among influential people; US Historian McCoy:
through legal education, politicans learn to MANIPULATE regulations in their quest for rents (Example:

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THE RULEMAKERS: How the Wealthy and Well-Born Dominate Congress
By Sheila Coronel, Yvonne Chua, Luz Rimban, and Booma Cruz
Juan Ponce Enrile and Ed Angara, who are corporate lawyers who rose from modest beginning to
become fabulously wealthy and powerful senators and cab secs; BUT BEST EXAMPLE IS STILL
FERDINAND MARCOS, brilliant lawyer who amassed legendary fortune since he was elected senator in
1960s and who manipulated law w/ such audacity when he became president)
-LAYWERS to continue to be a dominant presence in legislature; business and economics second
preferred field
-Despite many changes, THERE IS STILL PREMIUM ON EDUCATION as far as entry to legis is concerned;
As history tells us, until 1935 only propertied and educated males could vote and aspire for public office
-Passing on of a legis seat from one generation to another provides further evidence of CASTE-LIKE
structure of the legis elite
III. A MILLIONAIRES CLUB
-getting richer as time goes by, i.e. getting richer as they stay longer in office
-Abueva: Politics is a lucrative means of self-aggrandizement
-Example: Cojuangcos of Tarlac, a landed clan that has had 9 members elected to Congress since 1907;
they were already wealthy when they ran for office but various family mems rose to national
prominence and phenomenal wealth during their incumbency in Congress
-Congress is also seen as an avenue of social mobility for aspiring elites; Example: Samar Rep Catalino
Figueroa had humble beginnings. His family not into politics, not landed nor business people, but he
invested in fishing and rural banking apparently using the money he earned at BIR where he was subject
of corruption rumors. Before he got elected to the House, he was renting a house in Samar. In 1992, his
declared networth was P4 million, BUT after 4 years, his networth almost DOUBLED.
-Congress also a home for the old elite and the nouveaux riches; wealthiest reps; Cynthia VIllar (real
estate), Gilbert Teodoro, Marcos Cojuangco (landed family of Cojuangco branched out into
manufacturing, real estate, and services), Juan Ponce Enrile Jr and Ismael Mathay III (sons of politicians
who made wealth during the Marcos era, using their close connections in Malacanang to wangle
lucrative biz deals)
-EXCEPTIONAL CHARACTER: Compostela Valley Rep. Manuel Way Kurat Zamoras mode of transpo is
his mountain bike; his nickname Way Kurat means no fear; he is an ex-student activist and farmer w/
neither title nor degree; His entry to the House is proof that it is possible for someone who doesnt fit
demographic profile of legislators to crash into the exclusive circle of the PH political elite; had the
support of dominant political clan in his district, with populist rather than ideological platform; his P65M
PDAF goes to building multi-purpose halls, farm-to-market roads, deep wells

IV. SENATE IS THE MORE EXCLUSIVE HOUSE
V. POLITICS AS BUSINESS


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THE RULEMAKERS: How the Wealthy and Well-Born Dominate Congress
By Sheila Coronel, Yvonne Chua, Luz Rimban, and Booma Cruz
PART II. Born to Rule
DYNASTY, CLANS & PARTIES: A QUICK GUIDE TO POLITICAL PARTIES, A HUNDRED YEARS OF FAMILIES,
GUNS & GOONS, THE 7MS OF DYNASTY-BUILDING, LOVE & MARRIAGE, SONS & DAUGHTER
Political families have dominated Congress for 100 years. The family is the main instrument for
contesting elections and amassing wealth. It is the training and recruitment ground for public office. The
kinship network also acts as a politicians core organization. Through the years, political families have
risen and fallen. They have to constantly reinvent themselves, to tap into sources of popular legitimacy
and to keep up with the times if they wish to remain in power
7 Ms of DYNASTY-BUILDING:
Money, Machine, Media and/or Movies, Marriage, Murder and Mayhem, Myth, Mergers (Alliances)
1. MONEY families that endure and survive political upheaval more likely to have sustainable
economic base (i.e., richer!); NOTE: campaign is very expensive, can cost up to P30 million in metro
Manila, and an average of P10 million in the rural areas, and about P3 million for smaller districts and
less intense; well-connected influential and rich

2. MACHINE political machine to run the campaign from the bottom up; PATRONAGE is key to keep
the political machine going; big landowners have an advantage as they can mobilize votes of their
workers or tenants and use hacienda org of oversees for campaign; other means: religious, biz,
school, frats, civil affiliations; GAMBLING + POLITICS

3. MEDIA AND/OR MOVIES celebrity power; politicians tapped the power of media and movie too;
name-recall an advantage; BEST EXAMPLE: FORMER PRESIDENT ERAP, Huge margin in the 1998
elections!!! Revilla, Jaworski

4. MARRIAGE political marriages to consolidate networks and expand the reach and influence of clans;
example: Cory Cojuangco and Ninoy Aquino from the two most powerful clans in Tarlac; Ferdinand
Marcos of Ilocos and Imelda Romualdez of Leyte, considered a master political stroke for the
ambitious Marcos as Romualdez clan was influential in Congress; Imeldas cousin Daniel was then
Speaker pro tempore and her uncle Norberto was once House Speaker

5. MURDER AND MAYHEM One of the most celebrated political murders in PH history is of that of
Ilocos Sur Rep. Julio Nalundasan, murdered in his home In 1935; alleged assassin was the 18-year-old
Ferdinand Marcos, then a UP student, whose father Mariano had just lost to Nalundasan in the elex
for the Commonwealth-era National Assembly; Marianos loss was a devastating defeat that was
made even more humiliating by Nalundasans decision to hold a victory parade that deaatured a
coffin bearing Mariano Marcos name

6. MYTH Best Example: Ferdinand Marcos created a myth of himself as the bemedalled soldier

7. MERGERS (ALLIANCES) politics is addition; build alliances w/ other influential clans or the ruling
party

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THE RULEMAKERS: How the Wealthy and Well-Born Dominate Congress
By Sheila Coronel, Yvonne Chua, Luz Rimban, and Booma Cruz
PART III: THE PERKS OF LAWMAKING
MAKING LAWS AS A SIDELINE, DIVIDING THE SPOILS (ENTREPRENEURIAL LEGISLATION), BIG SPENDERS
(HAVE SEAT, WILL TRAVEL), MONEY, MONEY, MONEY (LAWMAKERS, LAWBREAKERS)
They are supposed to be legislators, but members of Congress have been spending less and less time
crafting laws. Instead, they are engrossed in the struggle for a share of the spoils. Through the years,
legislators have honed their skills in using the powers of Congressto make laws, to vet presidential
appointments, to conduct inquiries, and to examine the budgetfor their own benefit. Fewer and fewer
bills of national significance have been passed, even as lawmakers enjoy an ever-growing list of perks.
Contrary to popular perception, members of Congress receive compensation in amounts that rival those
of business executives. Much of this is free moneythey can spend it as they please and they dont
even have to pay taxes

PART IV: FOR THE LOVE OF PORK
Defenders of pork barrel say it is ensures that development funds are made available even to the
remotest barangay. For sure, pork funds have helped needy patients and built schoolhouses for poor
children. But pork is primarily a tool for political patronage, not development. It is also a rich source of
corruption, with many legislators enriching themselves from commissions from pork-funded projects. The
billions spent on pork drain the national treasury and distort national development plans

PART V: IN SEARCH OF ALTERNATIVES
In 1946, the Left was banished from the House as a result of a plot by the conservative, landowning elite
that dominated the legislature. Congress remains a bastion of the rich and powerful, but the old-style
politicians in the House now have to rub elbows with representatives from labor, the peasantry, and
womens groupsas well as leftist political parties. The newcomers are still treated like second-class
citizens in the House and kinks remain in the party-list system that brought them there. But at least the
groundwork has been laid for political and electoral reform.