These institutions can be used by political and social actors to challenge the entrenched Political family and develop Philippine democracy.

Akbayan was thus conceived as an effort to institutionalize people power and thereby deepen Philippine democracy.

Yet the sense of a native Philippine democracy has put down strong roots.

A reorientation of American aid would have the added benefit of helping bolster Philippine democracy.

Marcos used to call the barangay part of Philippine participatory democracy.

Six months after his arrest, Mr. Psinakis was awarded the Aquino Government's first Presidential Citation "for outstanding service to Philippine democracy."

"Now Philippine democracy rests solidly upon three pillars of freedom -the President, supreme court and congress," Mrs. Aquino said.

It is a cynical but justified judgment of Philippine democracy and the lack of American success in transmitting democratic values to the islands.

PDSP believes that the communist insurgency and any armed struggle against the Philippine democracy has lost its moral justification after the toppling of the dictator.

That concern calls attention to the power of the media and the role of the free press in the development of Philippine democracy.