MANILA -- Before I moved to Manila two years ago, a Filipino parliamentarian told me about election-related violence in his country. At that time I could hardly believe my ears. Now I have come to understand that ballot snatching, intimidation of voters and even assassinations are a sad reality in many parts of the Philippines. According to official sources, more than 60 people have been killed and many more injured so far in violence related to the May 10 election.

With some 17,000 public positions up for grabs, the stakes are indeed high. While the media focus their attention on the national contests for the presidency, the vice presidency and a dozen senatorial slots, the vast majority of electoral battles are fought out on the local level. It is here that dozens of well-armed private armies operate and most of the violence occurs.

In discussions with Filipino friends and colleagues, I have discerned what could be termed a love-hate-relationship toward politics and politicians. On the one side, Filipinos say they are proud of their democracy, particularly the so-called people power revolution of 1986 that toppled the Marcos dictatorship and stood at the beginning of a global wave of democratization. On the other hand, the same people don't hide their revulsion for the political leadership of the country and the political system as a whole.