ABSTRACT
Disagreement over the meaning and purpose of less-than-democratic elections has been, as Kerkvliet puts it, a central theme of Philippine politics ever since the Spanish colonizers introduced elections to the archipelago in the 19th century. The primary purpose of this study has been to explain how less-than-democratic elections can contribute to democratization, both before and after the national electoral transition from centralized authoritarian rule. By contrast, in the case of North Cotabato, the broad electoral unity which emerged behind Gregorio Andolana’s candidacy succeeded in cutting across ethnic, class, and territorial lines. Even prior to the founding of a progressive institutional church that matched the boundaries of North Cotabato’s second district, however, communities in the area had already experienced a wave of independent organizing. By contrast, in the case of North Cotabato, the broad electoral unity which emerged behind Gregorio Andolana’s candidacy succeeded in cutting across ethnic, class, and territorial lines.
