The lesser evil in politics

Politics has always been a fertile ground for discussions on moral philosophy since the dawn of formal governments. The ethics of emperors, kings and other monarchs were aired and assailed by their subjects, but as these rulers had absolute power, it was just all talk. These are the same with the current despots in autocratic countries, except that now most tyrants keep their morals/ethics secret and out of public view to avoid adverse political reactions,

In democratic countries, with an active main and social media, the personal ethics and actions of politicians are well displayed most of the time, so voters have the opportunity to evaluate them and make choices. Unfortunately, in many developing countries, especially in the Philippines, the choices are never between good and evil, or even between relatively good and slightly evil, but between the lesser of two evils.

In the Philippine election after years of martial law, with Cory Aquino, the widow of slain opposition leader as candidate against the dictator Marcos Sr., the good and evil lines were clearly drawn. In the succeeding elections after Cory Aquino’s term, the morals/ethics of the candidates were blurred and turning into shades of gray. Then, the candidacies of Noynoy Aquino and Robredo made the contrast better, but was graying/blurring again in the Duterte vs. Roxas election and now in the fight between BBM and the Duterte. We, the people are now clearly in the moral dilemma of choosing which side is the lesser evil.

Utilitarianism is the justification of the lesser evil theory. It posits that we choose the “lesser evil” because in our evaluation, the person, action and its consequences will do less harm to us, the country, and society. The ethical principle here is that faced with a situation where all available outcomes are undesirable, we should choose the one that will cause the least harm. If it is voting/electing/siding with candidates or political group, given what we know of the person or group, we should vote/elect those that will do the least harm to the country and the people.

The ongoing BBM-Duterte fight, with the looming VP Sara impeachment trial, the Hague trial of former president Duterte, and the 2028 presidential election are and will be the environment for the people to make their lesser evil decision. BBM’s track record as a person, politician, and government official, and the Marcos family reputation are enough materials for the Filipino people to digest and assess his character and performance. The Duterte family record and actions in the long reign in Davao and in national politics, including the war on drugs and the extra-judicial killings, together with the scandals/anomalies of VP Duterte are/will be the narratives that will define the morals and ethics of the Duterte family.

There will be a big propaganda war in the main and social media in the next 18 months as both sides will try to influence public opinion. The impeachment and The Hague trial will play big part and a lot of fake news and other disinformation and misinformation will flood social media. At this time, it is hard to predict the end game of this political fight as it will carry over to the 2028 elections. With the present economic class distribution and the functional literacy levels of the Filipinos, with its inherent economic and social divide, we can only hope and pray that majority of the Filipinos will choose the side that will do the least harm to the people and the country, or even do good and uphold truth and justice. Or pray for a miracle that a “third force” that is clearly morally superior to the two evils will win in the 2028 elections.