Group # 3 - Position Paper
College degree as an educational requirement for Elected
Government offices
Members:
Eder, Geo
Francisco, Jharyl
Gomez, Josh
Lamboon, Althea
Maballo, Evan
Pascua, Yivan
Serrano, Miguel
Rivera, Keara
Historical/Legal Background:
weak. Education is a word that is synonymous with “Importance” in the present world. It
is because through education, one can achieve their desires in life, may it be money, or
recognition. As said by Knowels (1995), education is the development of all those capabilities in
the individual which enables him to control his environment and fulfill his possibilities. Which is
why for Dr. Jose Rizal, based on his work: “La Instruccion (Instruction)”, he envisioned
education as the foundation of society and a prerequisite for social progress, he claimed that
only through education can the country be saved from domination. He further stated that the
mission of education is to elevate the country to the highest seat of glory and to develop the
people’s mentality. For he believed that: “The gift of reason with which we are endowed must be
brightened and utilized” in order to overcome ignorance which causes slavery.”
The statements of Rizal shows that he regarded education not solely as an individual
endeavor or journey, but he saw that education was a collective idea that is meant to uplift
society itself. Furthermore, Rizal saw that education or the enlightenment of the Filipinos should
come first before they desire freedom. And like all Filipinos, he desired the country’s freedom
but education and hard work might make the Filipinos worthy of that freedom. For he believed
that “what is the use of independence if the slaves of today will be the tyrants of tomorrow?
(Rizal’s Stand on Freedom, 2022).
This philosophy of Rizal would then bring up a current issue that has raised debates and
questions regarding elections and the government. This is the higher educational requirements
for elected public offices. This idea states that an elected public office should have a higher
education requirement for someone to run as a candidate for the office. The issue stems from
the fact that the educational requirements for running for some of the highest public elected
offices in the country are minimal. According to the 1987 constitution, it states that running for
congress, senate, and president or vice-president, only requires that a person is able to read
and write to run for such elected offices. This means that a person who has no background of
government position or law education, could be elected to some of these highest government
offices in the country. But the current times have questioned these minimal requirements, some
people have started to question if having this type of requirement would only lead to gradual
doom of the country.
Since the Philippine elections follow the popular voting to elect its leaders, the people
tend to vote for famous candidates but “unqualified” candidates rather than experienced and
qualified candidates but unpopular. According to Wong (2022), Such a line-up means that the
candidates’ campaign narratives generally swirl around their persona. Duterte’s victory in 2016
was attributed to his well-curated “strongman” image, amplified by a solid social media
campaign. Thus, charisma and mass appeal are the focus rather than policy platforms or track
record. This is amply demonstrated in most campaign events that sideline substantive debates
in favor of entertainment shows. “The people won’t listen if you debate an issue or present a
platform,” remarked Senator Ronald dela Rosa in 2019 about his campaign rallies. “If you have
said several platforms, they think this politician is just … full of words, but no action.” These
popular elected candidates are then also the ones to commit corruption and mismanage their
positions, further leading to the suffering of the people.
Statement of the Stand:
The paper believes that the Philippines’ lawmakers should Implement College Degree as
one of the Qualifications in Running for Government Positions.
Arguments:
Support:
The main problem with the minimal requirement for elections is that it makes it easier for
people who have ill intentions to run for office. It also makes it susceptible to mismanagement
and corruption due to it being managed by people that may not have past experiences in public
management or judicial positions. In other fields of work such as; medicine, business, and law;
they require the person to have a degree in that field so that they may work in that field. One
cannot be a doctor without attending medical school, a lawyer cannot practice law if they did not
attend law school, likewise, a person should not be able to hold a public position without having
a college degree. Holding such powerful positions which have the power to affect the country’s
overall welfare should require the person to have a certain expertise in a given field. A college
degree represents that the person went through rigorous training and hardships for them to
hone their skills and knowledge. This means that they are highly qualified to manage a
government since they have gone through similar scenarios of management.
The late senator, Miriam Santiago stated that she believes that a college degree should
be a requirement enshrined in the Constitution for elected officials. Santiago said that requiring
leaders to have college degrees would help the country compete on the international level. She
expressed: “If we want global competitiveness, we should require our leaders to be, at the very
least, formally educated. This is because education is a powerful constraint against narrow
parochialism and a gateway to ideas that can change communities,” (Santos, 2013).
Another reason why an elected person should be educated is that when pursuing social
changes, the educated man would first know what these changes would mean for the entirety of
the population or society and not just only for a few. They would balance the pros and cons of a
petition and would scale which one weighs heavier. They would not be indifferent to how the
minority feels and they would be empathetic of their struggles. When thinking about the
construction of the Kaliwa dam. According to Jocson (2022), The building of dams in indigenous
communities has caused great destruction of ancestral land, resources, and livelihoods. This
outweighed the supposed benefits promised by their proponents and builders which were
pertaining to relocation and financial offers made to them. What this situation shows was that
although the dam would provide 600 million liters of water per day to Metro Manila (Jocson,
2022). This would bring more environmental and cultural issues to the surrounding area that it is
built on. The educated people in this scenario would strive to petition for the dam project to be
cancelled for they see that the cons outweighs the pros and also that they would feel and share
the pain that the tribes are experiencing and thus, they would not support the dam’s
construction. This can be clearly seen in Fr. Pete Montallana, who is head of the Save Sierra
Madre Network. He understands and empathizes with the sentiments of the tribe with regards to
the construction of the Kaliwa dam and the effects on Indigenous tribes as he said: “The area
will be submerged and people do not understand that this Build, Build, Build [program] and the
Belt and Road Initiative, which objectively want to help people, is actually being a road that will
pave the way for the extinction of this tribe.” (Cabico, 2020). Whereas, the ignorant person
would pursue the dam’s construction, simply because it benefits them more and shows
indifference to the tribe’s sentiments simply because they are ignorant of their real situation and
danger.
According to what Musschenga said, “What unifies those we regard as persons of
integrity, is that they stick to their promises, act according to the principles they have subscribed
to or are expected to act upon in the offices and roles they fill, and are loyal to their
commitment.” Musschenga, A. W. (2001). Since discipline and honesty is well practiced in
schools and universities, it will be highly effective for an elected person to be transparent or
have authenticity with regards to their intentions and goals for the people that they will govern
through their power of education. Not only is it great to inspire the people to experience full
education, but it is great to be a living proof that education develops a potential leader and a
great decision maker of the future. Humility, accountability and faithfulness should be the virtues
of a future leader, and there are things that should be observed in them which is the consistency
between profess and promises.
This can then be related to the idea of Mobocracy. A society governed by ignorant
people can only be called a mobocracy i.e., a condition in which the lower classes of a nation
control public affairs without respect to law, precedents, or vested rights. (Merriam-Webster,
n.d.). The reason why a society ruled by ignorance can only be called a mobocracy is because
the ignorants would pursue social changes carelessly and would only pursue because it is what
they supposedly want and desire. And this can only end in chaos and violence for its people.
For a mobocratic society is like a wave, the ignorant people would be like the water strongly
pushing through everything in its path without the knowledge of the damage they have done.
Even now in the present society, mobocracy is seen and unknowingly done by the common
people.
As seen during the SWS survey conducted in 2019 in regards to Former President
Duterte’s infamous drug war, 82% of the respondents were satisfied with the campaign while
12% were dissatisfied because of the killings (Petty & Schuettler, 2019). The event shows how
mobocracy is a threat to society and how it disrupts the peace and order of the society. The
ignorance of the people have made themselves slaves to a violent ruler whom they voted with
their own free will, and this decision may very well cost them their very future. The argument
clearly shows how the ignorant and uneducated people may vote a mob ruler simply because it
promises the same things the mob wants. It shows how without knowledge, the people would
blindly follow and applaud the crimes and injustices that are made around them. But with the
people being educated and learned, they would be well aware of the injustices that have
happened as well as not vote for the specific ruler, for they would vote for a ruler who does not
satisfy the mob but someone who Plato describes as a Philosopher King/Queen, who is a
person that is wise on what the things should be done as well someone who organizes order
and respects the rights of each person in the society.
But with educated people at the head of the government, they would not let the people
applaud and praise these injustices and crimes, they would not follow the wave of hate but
instead counter it. Such an example would be during the civil rights movement of the Kennedy
administration in the USA. During this time, black Americans were heavily discriminated against
by the white majority and this majority aimed to keep segregation i.e., separation of the
“colored” and the white citizens (JFK Library, n.d.). But JFK, who was an educated man and a
graduate from Harvard University, believed against the idea of segregation and had a contrary
belief from it. He believed that the black citizens must have the same rights as white citizens,
and people who believed otherwise or disagreed with these rights must be punished by the law.
Against: (non-degree)
The presented support argument presents a weakness in its conviction and that is
discrediting the capacity of “uneducated” candidates and only looks at the issue from an elite or
educated perspective and does not try to see from the perspective of the “uneducated".
The focus on government officials and their credibility is not a new topic in the
Philippines. It is written in the 1987 Philippine Constitution that every Filipino citizen who can
read and write and meets residency criteria is entitled to run for government positions. However,
the discussion of revising the 1987 constitution, specifically the requirement of a college degree
for elected officials, has been ongoing for some time. Requiring a college degree to run for
office, according to a political expert, would be discriminatory and might be considered a
violation of human rights. (Suarez, 2019) It was also claimed that this idea would prevent the
majority of Filipinos from running for public office. According to Rosanna Vergara, a
representative for Nueva Ecija's 3rd District, the aforementioned provision would deny the poor
the chance to pursue their aspirations of helping their countrymen (Cepeda, 2018). Vergara also
stated that only 10% of Filipinos had college degrees in 2010, by 2018 that number had risen to
only 36%. Therefore, requiring college degrees would reduce the pool of qualified candidates
because those without college degrees would disenfranchise nearly 64% of our electorate.
In recent years, it is much easier for Filipino to express their criticism of government officials
through social media. One of the most popular concerns frequently raised by voters is the
matter of several politicians' lack of credibility and experience (e.g., Manny Pacquiao, Lito Lapid,
Bong Revilla etc.). Senator Manny Pacquiao is the most frequently mentioned example of this
issue, as the world-title-holding boxer sought for a position in the Senate without a college
degree or any expertise in the subject. Many people were concerned that he wouldn't be able to
perform a good job because of his history, but the constitution explicitly states that anybody can
run for public office as long as they can read and write, according to RA 6388 (Daily Guardian,
2019).
It is also important to keep in mind that the Philippines is a democratic country, hence
the proposal contradicts the basic concept of democracy by depriving the majority of people of
the ability to vote in elections. Furthermore, the qualities and attributes required of a politician,
such as empathy, values, communication skills, and collaborative skills, are not always tied to
formal education and can be cultivated in a variety of ways.
The Philippines is a democratic country that allows any natural-born citizen who can
read and write to run for government positions, according to the 1987 Constitution of the
Philippines on Republic Act no. 6388, Section 6, “No person shall be a Member of the House of
Representatives unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines and, on the day of the
election, is at least twenty-five years of age, able to read and write, and, except the party-list
representatives, a registered voter in the district in which he shall be elected, and a resident
thereof for a period of not less than one year immediately preceding the day of the election”
(THE 1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES – ARTICLE IV, n.d.).
Therefore, anyone can run for government positions even if they don’t have a college degree.
Leadership qualities and a desire to serve the community are more important than
having a college degree to be a successful politician. “The qualities of effective leadership
include courage, strength, the ability to communicate effectively, knowledge, judgment, integrity,
and interpersonal skills. A particularly important quality is vision, along with the power to
implement that vision” (Qualities of Effective Leadership, n.d.). However, it is not realistic for one
person to master all the different fields of politics, which includes:Political theory, Comparative
politics, International relations, Political economy, Public economy, Public policy, Political
sociology, Political psychology, and Political communication.
Politicians can hire advisors who specialize in these fields to provide the best possible
solutions to the problems in their community. This is in line with the provision in the 1987
Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines Article III - BILL OF RIGHTS, Section 4, "No law
shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of
the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances''. This
provision can be interpreted as the right of individuals, even the politicians, to seek advice and
opinions from others and to express their own views freely.
Additionally, the Constitution provides for the right of the people to information on
matters of public concern in Article III, Section 7, ”The right of the people to information on
matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records, and to documents and
papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research
data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such
limitations as may be provided by law.” This includes access to official records, documents, and
papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as government research
data used as a basis for policy development. Therefore, politicians have the right to access
information and data that can be used to inform their decisions, including the advice of
specialized advisors.
(THE 1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES – ARTICLE III, n.d.)
In conclusion, the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines recognizes the right of politicians
to hire specialized advisors and access information and data that can help them make decisions
for their community. It is not necessary for a politician to have a college degree, but effective
leadership qualities are important to serve the community.
Synthesis:
By weighing the presented arguments regarding College Degree as Requirement in
Running for Public Office. The paper came to realize that Implementing College Degree as one
of the Qualifications in Running for Public Office is a good thing. Considering the capabilities of
a person after graduating with a college degree, they can excel on a Political Field, making it
easy for them to decide on how to solve a crisis that has occurred within the community, as well
as helping the country to grow and compete on the international level, “If we want global
competitiveness, we should require our leaders to be, at the very least, formally educated. This
is because education is a powerful constraint against narrow parochialism and a gateway to
ideas that can change communities,” (Santos, 2013). Another one of the differences between an
educated Politician and non-educated Politicians is that the educated Politicians are not
ignorant when it comes to the culture of a society, whereas they criticize the build projects that
have been proposed to them before signing the projects. Having the vision on how the impact of
a project to the community, not only its benefits, but as well as the drawbacks that might happen
when the project has been signed to continue its operations. The example of this crisis is the
build, build, build program that was proposed under the Duterte administration: “The area will
be submerged and people do not understand that this Build, Build, Build [program] and the Belt
and Road Initiative, which objectively want to help people, is actually being a road that will pave
the way for the extinction of this tribe.” (Cabico, 2020)
We have concluded that implementing such a requirement would be beneficial. This is
due to the fact that individuals who have graduated with a college degree possess the
necessary skills to excel in the political field, making it easier for them to make informed
decisions when resolving crises in their communities and helping their countries to grow and
compete on the international level. According to Santos (2013), requiring our leaders to have
formal education is crucial if we want to maintain global competitiveness, as education is a
powerful tool that can prevent narrow-minded thinking and lead to innovative ideas. Additionally,
educated politicians are better equipped to understand the cultural nuances of a society,
allowing them to critically evaluate proposed projects before approving them. An example of this
is the build, build, build program proposed under the Duterte administration, which has been
criticized for its potential negative impact on indigenous tribes, “The area will be submerged and
people do not understand that this Build, Build, Build [program] and the Belt and Road Initiative,
which objectively want to help people, is actually being a road that will pave the way for the
extinction of this tribe.” (Cabico, 2020). By requiring a college degree for those seeking public
office, we can ensure that our leaders possess the necessary skills and knowledge to make
informed decisions that benefit everyone.