What will make for an Effective Civil-Military Relation in the Philippines: A Study of the Marcos to Arroyo Presidential Administrations

Abstract

For the past few decades, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and its civilian Commander-In-Chief had been allegedly involved in issues that were deemed unacceptable by most Filipinos. These issues include human rights violations, rigging of elections and rampant corruption. Their relationship had not been stable over time and was characterized by fluctuations. However, if we want to institutionalize democracy in our country, an effective civil- military relation has to be established. This study aims to assess the factors that may be attributed into attaining and maintaining an effective civil-military relation in the Philippines based from the experiences of the past five presidential administrations (Marcos to Arroyo). Samuel Finer’s theory as to why the military intervenes in politics, coupled with the key informant interviews conducted, takes us into the right direction in achieving an effective civil-military relation and a deeper understanding of the subject matter. These factors are civilian supremacy, military professionalism, the Commander- In-Chiefs awareness of the military culture and psyche and a mature or at least a developed political culture. The findings of the research provide us with ample information in addressing our country’s problem on civil-military relation.