182 Chasing the Wind: Assessing Philippine Democracy, Second Edition things stand, a massive public boycott of such “pretend” polls would be logically called for. This, at least, would expose the elections zarzuela for what it is and let the powers that be know that there is a limit to what the Filipino people will tolerate. Maybe such an action can begin to trigger change. In any event, only with genuine electoral reform can the Filipino people start a journey toward true democracy. Admittedly, achieving such reform will not, by any stretch of the imagination, be easy. Considering its actions in keeping its captive Commission on Elections fully compliant and rendering it more powerful than ever, the ruling cabal has already shown that it has no intention whatsoever to concede power and give up political control. __________________ [Some of the data and analysis in this chapter previously appeared – in slightly different forms – in my 2013 book Hacking Our Democracy: The Conspiracy To Electronically Control Philippine Elections, published by BusinessWorld.]