Political Turncoatism An Analytical Study of Philippine Party Politics and Political Butterflies and their Effects on Politics and Society

Abstract

Political turncoatism is the act of changing political allegiances. It is the act of shifting from one party to another with whatever motivations a politician has. The phenomenon had been considered part of Philippine party politics. True to its sense, there had been a wide variety of terms that had been created to refer to such an act, some of which are balimbings. chameleons, political butterflies and turncoats. Unfortunately, the act of turncoatism, however good it sounds as pronounced, does not do any good to the Philippine governance. It primarily undermines party discipline which further weakened the system. The rampant party switching in party policies had indeed inculcated several defects to political parties, party politics and in turn to governance and policy implementation. It had created the problem of inefficient governance. There are several reforms that had been suggested and being undergone through to change this ailment of the society to offer better politics to the community. This research includes a study on political turncoatism and its effects on the Philippine society and politics. Also included in the discussions are the evolution and characteristics of Philippine party politics and political parties. An explanation of the nature, evolution and manifestations of turncoatism in the country was delved into. On the other hand, the different reforms that can be done to minimize or end the phenomenon of turncoatism were also included. The researcher found out that the political turncoatism is but considered as a normal fact of political life in the Philippines. The act of turncoatism is indeed indicative of a weak party system and the preeminence of politicking and struggle to power over ideologies and platforms. These acts were also found to be phenomenon that retarded the development of political parties and in turn, put burdens on better governance, policy making and policy-implementation.