It is a given in a democratic form of government that the Political
Community and the Civil Society are not only mutually interdependent – although
they are not really the same in the hierarchy of their respective
finalities. In other words, the Political
Community is at the service of the Civil Society – definitely not the other way
around. So it is that the Civil Society
has priority over the Political
Community that precisely gives justification for it to exist and to serve, to
promote and affirm Civil Society.
Otherwise, in the event that the Political Community claims and acts as
if it had the Civil Society absolutely under its rule and command, then such a
form of government could be anything but democratic.
The State through its Political Community should provide an
adequate legal framework for its citizens composing the Civil Society to engage freely in their
legitimate different interests and consequent Human Rights. State intervention through its Political
Community is however necessary when the Civil Society becomes “uncivil”, viz.,
the citizens engage in action and reaction patterns contrary to the dictate of
reason, the mandate of ethics – specially in terms of social disorder if not
downright violence among themselves.
Such political intervention nevertheless must always uphold basic human dignity and respect fundamental
human rights. Otherwise, the Political
Community becomes a curse instead of being a blessing to the Civil Community.
All the above-mentioned doctrinal as well as practical
principles however are not meant to deny that Civil Society is multifaceted
such as in terms of convictions, priorities and value systems that can and do
cause irritations, contradictions, disturbances and other anti-social acta and
agenda. However, this in no way gives
the State – through its Political Community with its command of the Military
Forces – the prerogative to subjugate but rather have the mandate to appease and
harmonize the citizens through its intervention of reconciliation for their
eventual social harmony – thus preventing that the stronger citizens’ group to prevail over the weaker one at the expense
of truth, justice and peace.
The well-known and often invoked “Principle of Subsidiarity” specifically applied to the governed
Civil Society and the governing Political Community, in essence means that what
the said civil entity can do by itself should not be taken over by the
political body which in fact is instead required to attend to matters beyond
the possibilities of the Civil Community by way of public service – considering
the rather well-known truth and reality that the public office is for public
service in order to bring about public welfare.
Given the forthcoming 2016 Elections and given the known
candidates for public office – specially in the Executive Department – it is
incumbent upon the responsible Civil Society to definitively discard political
candidates who even this early already show personality traits that once elected, would dominate not serve the
Civil Community. Tyranny, autocracy,
fascism or dictatorship – anyone of these detestable forms of governance has no
place in the civilized world, the Philippines well-included.
