67 In Search of Credible Elections and Parties: The Philippine Paradox Among congressional districts, there are 19 families all over the country that have exclusively controlled elections in their respective congressional constituencies since the 1987 congressional elections (see Table 11). Suggesting an alternation rule, Przeworski et al. define a country as undemocratic when the same party wins three consecutive elections (2000). Table 11: Congressional Districts Ruled by a Single Political Family, 19872010. Political Family 1.D4-Pampanga 2.D1-Tarlac 3.D3-Tarlac 4.D1-La Union 5.D2-Ilocos Sur 6.D1-Isabela 7.D1-Albay 8.D1-Sorsogon 9. Lone District-Quirino Bondoc Cojuangco-Teodoro Aquino-Lapus Ortega Singson Albano Lagman Escudero Cua Province HDI Rank, 2006 6 16 16 10 19 27 32 51 18 10.D1-Iloilo 11.D5-Iloilo 12.D5-Cebu 13.D3-Negros Oriental 14.D5-Leyte 15.Lone District-Siquijor Garin Tupas-Suplico Durano Teves Loreto-Cari Fua 12 12 21 63 49 31 16.D2-Davao Oriental 17.D2-Davao del Sur 18.D3-Bukidnon 19.Lone District-Camiguin Almario Bautista Zubiri Romualdo 66 14 28 34 If political families can be considered as the functional surrogate of political parties in the country, then one has to be alarmed by the same families winning elections for no less than 8 consecutive terms or 24 straight years! For instance, at least six of these permanently controlled congressional districts show relatively low to very low achievements in HDI ( Siquijor, Albay, Camiguin, Sorsogon, Negros Oriental, Davao Oriental) and yet the ruling political families have managed to get themselves perpetually elected in these depressed areas. Following the same alternation rule suggested by Przeworski, the undemocratic outcomes for governorships is also indicated by the fact that for the eight elections between 1988-2010, fifty one provinces out of 77 or 66 percent, had a political family winning gubernatorial elections for at least three consecutive terms. Another indicator of the political power and reach of the political families has been their ability to control the two top positions in the province: the governorship and congressional district(s). In the hierarchy of power and