CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Election is a formal process of selecting a candidate running to get a position in

the public office. Electorates play a vital role by electing a candidate that will implement

different programs. In the Philippine context, Teehankee explained that election started

during the American Period wherein widespread participation from individuals. Filipinos

votes the set of politicians that will govern them but accountability in this period of time

is questionable because of the loyalty of the politicians to American Government

(Teehankee J., n.d.). Tancangco explained Act No. 60 that stated the requisites for the

voters, such as; a) Voters should be male and has an age of 23 years old and above, b) he

must have at least 6 months of residency before the said election, and c) Voters can

speak, read or write English/ Spanish language, own a real property worth at least P500

or a local official before the American occupation in 1898. (Tancangco, 1988).

Teehankee (n.d.) also added that 1987 constitution served as a leeway for the congress

and election of the local officials. This 1987 constitution also became the basis of the

number of terms or years of each politician for example the President and the Vice-

President can served for a six year term but cannot run for re-election in the next six

years. On the other hand officials of the Congress and Local Officials can run for 3

consecutive term and 3 years for each term. Teehankee also explained this election plays

a vital role for a development of a representative form of government and electoral

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system in the Philippines should be a combination of both representation and integration.

(Teehankee J., n.d)

In the context of the Philippines, these electoral strategies are shown by the

candidates from the national down to the local candidates in order to gain support from

the locals or the voters. During election, candidate that run for their own desire position

as a public government official shows their own unique electoral strategies for them to

attract those voters to vote for them. Different electoral strategies can be noticed by those

electorates for them to know who will be they voting to. These electoral strategies

include the platforms, name and the set of line ups of the candidates. Candidates can go

house to house campaign for them to be personally communicated to the electorates and

can improve the bond between them and the electorates. There are more different

electoral strategies that can be seen during campaign period during election and this study

will help us understand on what are those strategies that can attract more voters to vote

for a particular candidates.

This study would like to understand how this electoral strategies that affects the

voting behavior of the electorates in local area. Officials of the different municipality also

displayed or showed their own unique electoral strategies for them to be supported by the

electorates. Municipality of Ocampo, Camarines Sur, is one of the municipality that is

picked by the researcher for this study to be conducted. Ocampo, Camarines Sur has a

total area of 118.3 𝑘𝑚2 with a total population of 45, 934 according to 2015 census of the

National Statistics of the Philippines and consist of 25 barangays and 13 out of the 25

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barangays in the Municipality of Ocampo, Camarines Sur is a community of the

Indigenous People. This study would also like to understand if gender, educational

attainment and monthly income of the electorates can also affect their voting preference

with the different strategies displayed by the local candidates.

Statement of the Problem

This study would like to know the socio-economic status of the electorates and

characterize the different electoral strategies of the candidates used during an election

campaign and understand how these affects the voting preference of the electorate in

Ocampo, Camarines Sur.

Specifically this study aims to answer the following:

1. What are the dominant concepts that underlie these electoral strategies that

politicians used during the last election?

2. How did these electoral strategies affect the voting preferences of the

electorates?

3. What are the most influential electoral strategies to the electorates by sex,

age, and educational attainment?

Scope and Delimitations

The study will mainly focus on understanding the effects of these electoral

strategies to the electorates in the municipality of Ocampo, Camarines Sur, using a

gathered quantitative data. This study will mainly focus on the local candidates that run

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for the position of being a mayor in the Ocampo, Camarines Sur. This study will examine

the different strategies of the candidates of Ocampo, Camarines Sur that can change the

voting preference of the electorates. The respondents of this study will be the registered

voters who actually vote during the 2016 national and local election that resides in the

selected urban areas in Ocampo namely Poblacion East, Poblacio West, Poblacion

Central, Salvacion, San Francisco, Hanawan.

Significance of the Study

The study will benefit the following:

COMELEC, Ocampo Camarines Sur. The study could help the COMELEC of

Ocampo, Camarines Sur to understand on the strategies that the candidates used in order

to win an election in their municipality happens. The COMELEC based from this study

will know if what are the good and bad political strategy which is used by the candidates

during the campaign.

Electorates of the Municipality of Ocampo. The study will give the electorates,

awareness on the different campaign strategies and this research will also give them

understanding on the pros and cons of the electoral strategies by the candidates.

Political Candidates. This study will give the candidates certain knowledge on what

electoral strategies can be used and will appeal to the electorates.

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Political Campaign Managers. This study will help the campaign managers of the

politician to have a better understanding on what electoral strategies they should consider

the most.

Future Researchers. This study will be use as future reference to the researcher with the

related studies. Researcher who will study electoral dynamics in some part of the

Philippines will find it useful with its relevant literature and findings

Researchers. This study can be used by the researcher if they will enter the political

arena and they will have a knowledge on what will be the appropriate electoral strategies

to be use.

Definition of Terms

The following are the operational and conceptual definition of the study:

Election. This is a legal way of selecting a candidate that will govern the country,

municipalities, cities, and barangays. (Teehankee J., n.d.) This is a political event wherein

the candidates showcase their own political strategies for them to be supported by the

electorates.

Voting Preference. Describes on who will be the electorates based on the electoral

strategies of each candidates. Voting Preference may vary based on the standard of the

electorates.

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Electorates. These are the people who are entitled to vote in a specific location. These

are the registered voters of the Municipality of Ocampo, Camarines Sur from the year

2001 up to 2016.

Mayoral Candidates. These are the registered electorates of Ocampo, Camarines that

qualified to run for election to get the mayoral position during the 2016 local election.

These are the mayoral candidates who showcase their electoral strategies for the

registered electorates to vote for them.

Patronage. A visible benefit or relative exchange of both parties and candidates in

exchange for political support.

Clientilism. Suggest that there is a relationship or interconnection between the patron

and the client wherein in political aspect we consider politician or the candidate as the

patron and the electorates as the client. (Hicken, 2011)

Dyadic Relationship. An element of Clientilism and can be describe as the face to face

interaction and transaction between the patron and the client. (Hicken, 2011)

Contingency. Is the direct response of the Patron to the needs of the Client (Hicken,

2011). This explains the needs of the Client for example a food items, health or

livelihood programs and other useful items that is given directly by the Patron.

Hierarchy. Explains the use of the Patron’s resources or influences that can benefits the

client (Hicken, 2011). This also explains the use of resources of the Patron to show that

he or she was able to provide different projects especially in their recent term in office

and the use of playful tactics against his/her opponents.

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Iteration. Explains the ongoing nature of relationship of both Patron and Client (Hicken,

2011). These are the efforts used by the Patron for them to be noticed by the Clients.

Volition. Explain the nature of glue that holds the relationship of the patron and the client

such as used of power or force, the needs/ demands of the electorates that pressure the

candidates for them to win the election and the voluntary obligations which the

electorates vote this candidate because it is their obligations. (Hicken 2011)

Electoral Strategies. The different techniques of the political candidate in order for them

to be supported by the electorates