Examining the state of democracy in Davao City, researchers from Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) explored locals’ experiences of authority and leadership performance, revealing an inclination toward a more “hybrid authority-based democracy.”
Ateneo Public Interest and Legal Advocacy (APILA) Director Atty. Romeo Cabarde Jr. pointed out that the study sought to move beyond identifying democratic or authoritarian attitudes among the people and instead examine how conflicting orientations coexist within their understanding of governance.
“I want to approach these findings simply by not finding what did these respondents say, but what did these respondents mean, and what did they told us about the relationship between the people and the government of Davao City,” He stated.
Cabarde described the resulting political arrangement as a “hybrid authority-based democracy,” where democratic institutions coexist with political expectations centered on strong authority and performance.
“The danger is not that people want order. The danger is when the desire for order makes us willing to surrender the very democratic practices that allow us to question who defines the order, whose security is protected, whose voices are heard, and who gets to decide,” Cabarde said.
As a reactor to the studies, Davao Today journalist Kath Cortez asserted that perceptions of effective leadership must also be examined alongside how strong-man style leadership exercises power in relation to accountability and the democratic process.
“Perception of an effective leader can be more important than the processes through which the leader exercises power. Strong dapat siya, o matapang, decisive. But what exactly are we measuring? Is it the accountability they uphold, or the perception that they are strong and effective?” Cortez asserted.
Meanwhile, Kabataan Partylist Southern Mindanao Chairperson Cobbie Jan Canda challenged narratives of strong leadership by pointing to Davao’s history of alleged extrajudicial killings, political violence and red-tagging, noting that most narratives within the city are tied to the Duterte administration’s culture of violence.
“This culture of fascism and impunity, and this culture of violence, has been the stepping stone for the Duterte dynasty to propel themselves up to the national level, resulting in it being propagated and popularized on a national scale.”
Social Research Training and Development Office (SRTDO) Director Dr. Christine Diaz underscored that Dabawenyos tend to rely on their formal knowledge of elections and institutions, emphasizing the need to encourage civic learning through community experience for meaningful democratic participation.
“In order to achieve democratic resilience, civic education must become more comprehensive, values-based, and reflective rather than merely academic and theoretical. This entails encouraging critical thinking, openness, and the ability to engage positively with opposing viewpoints,” Diaz said.
Meanwhile, AdDU Anthropology Department Chair Dr. Rosalinda Tomas highlighted how social media played a highly influential yet deeply compromised role in how Dabawenyos encountered political information.
“Social media has built a dual reality… as it can offer a faster communication mechanism and wider reach, but on the other side, social media can also be primary unfiltered, unregulated, and sometimes monetized,” Tomas said.
The forum “Beyond the Numbers: Understanding Davao’s Democracy” was held at the Bapa Benny Tudtud Auditorium of Ateneo de Davao University on August 20.