The simple requirements of citizens to be a registered voter is to live in the Philippines for one year, be over the age of eighteen, and a Filipino citizen. In other words, any resident over the age of 18 can vote. This includes the uneducated who know nothing about politics but know a lot about showbiz and big names and a lot of government officials ride on this.
Let us take a look at our current President, Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. Would he have won if he was not an Aquino? As a matter of fact, he did not want to become a president in the first place. The country needed to form a movement called “Noynoy for President Movement” that would collect one million signatures in order to persuade Noynoy to run. They think that just because he has the same name as the most influential and well-loved former president, Corazon Aquino, he will accomplish just as much as she has. It is 2013 now and nobody is happy with his performance so far especially with how he responded to the recent super typhoon that hit our country, Yolanda.
A large part of corruption can be attributed to political dynasties. One government official makes his name huge and the next thing we know, his next of kin is running for office. The fact that they have the same last name gives him a big advantage. In this country, names matter more than the actual ability to rule. Movie stars are actually able to win in elections such as Joseph Estrada and Fernando Poe Jr. They take advantage of the uneducated by making them think that just because they have a big name, they are fit to rule.
The reason political dynasties are prevalent is because the more family members there in office, the more control there is. In the Biliran Province, the congressman, governor, board member, and mayor are all Esipinas. It is said that the votes were won by massive vote buying. Who’s to say that they will do a good job or ruling? As I said, they take huge advantage in the uneducated and the desperate in the Philippines. Those who would sell their vote for a few meals and those who do not take politics seriously. This leads to bad decisions of rulers, inability to act accordingly in emergency situations, and greed. These are what happens when the incapable are voted by the uneducated.