xiv Chasing the Wind: Assessing Philippine Democracy, Second Edition more and inevitably shatters before the weight of historical evidence. The effective truth of the matter, again borrowing the Florentine's formidable language, is that seeking democratization in the Philippines in the past fty years has been akin to chasing the wind. However, while their experience of failed democratization has been incredibly exhausting, serious democrats in the Philippines are not giving up on this worthy chase. They are not buckling down and accepting defeat in the light of demonstrably continuing non-democratic, oligarchic rule. After all, to them as well as to the authors of this book, history is not necessarily inevitable destiny. The paramount challenge in a country where democracy has failed to take root and develop is for its scholars and citizenry to candidly explore the objective reasons for its historical failure and then to resourcefully, decisively work to change history for the better. Truth-seeking, truth-saying and truth-acting are categorical imperatives for those seriously interested in initiating, nurturing and sustaining democratic governance in the Philippines. Nothing else will do. A nal note has to be sounded. The authors express their sincere thanks to two enlightened and enlightening agencies that made possible the conduct of this challenging study: the Philippine Commission on Human Rights that refuses a merely ornamental role in governance and thus often is at odds with politically powerful agencies in the country and the United Nations Development Program-Philippines. Both institutions have not only paid lip service to elusive democracy and problematic democratic initiatives in the Philippines; in providing the grant for this project, they have fully and actively supported an academic study focusing on the wherefores and the historical course of Philippine democratization. The Philippine Political Science Association and the Philippine Social Science Council are institutions the authors would also like to acknowledge for assisting in the public launching of this book. This volume must also acknowledge the invaluable service rendered by one of its academic contributors, Professor Ronald Holmes -- UNDP's Chasing the Wind project managing editor -- who ensured that the project administration would be both timely and hassle-free. It is probably indicative of the times that venerable institutions like the United Nations and the World Bank as well as other reputable international and national agencies, now explicitly include democratic governance, human rights and comprehensive human development in their critical program thrusts. Indeed when traditionally conservative, politically cautious institutions like these openly involve themselves in sensitive issues of democratic governance, one may remark as a prescient French democrat did over a hundred fty years ago: “Mightier than the tread of marching armies is the power of an idea whose time has come.” That idea is democracy.