Surveys have shown that more Filipino Americans voted for candidates of the Democratic Party than for the Republicans during the recent US mid-term election. And recent reports from Manila said most Filipinos also favored the Democrats taking over control of Congress because they think they are more sympathetic to the needs of the Philippines.
**********But is this inclination towards
the Democrats good for the Filipinos in America
and in the Philippines?
Will their dominance in Congress mean well for both? Some analysts in Manila say it is bad for the Philippines because in contrast to
the Republicans, Democrats are in favor of protectionism and isolationism. They
fear that the all-out support given by President Bush and the
Republican-controlled Congress to the war against the Abu Sayyaf and other
terrorist groups will have to undergo changes.
**********For President Arroyo, it will
no longer be business as usual. They expect a Democratic Congress to probe into
the human rights violations in the Philippines before it will approve
more economic and military aid. Already, incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi and
other Democrats have called a halt to an open door trade policy with China because
of extensive human rights violations.
**********For the majority of Filipino
Americans, the Democratic party’s control of Congress could result in a more
sympathetic view of their needs. For instance, the Filipino American veterans
believe a Democratic-controlled Congress would look more favorably to their
clamor for the extension of citizenship to their children and to make their
pensions similar to those received by their American counterparts. On the
matter of immigration, Filipinos as well as Latinos, think the Democrats would
now open the way for the approval of President Bush’s call for immigration
reforms, including the possible legalization of millions of illegal aliens
already in the US.
**********Because most Filipino Americans
are ordinary wage earners and not engaged in businesses, the tax platform of
the Democrats is more to their liking. They think the very rich and upper
middle class should pay more taxes to fund the social services that are needed
by citizens who temporarily cannot stand alone without government help. They
also believe the Democrats are in favor of leveling the playing field in all
aspects of life.
**********And above all, they are against
the curtailment of the freedoms that are provided for in the US Constitution.
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