“The problem with the Philippines,” an exasperated relative once said, “is that there’s just too much democracy.”
For me, the problem has never been about having “too much of a good thing.” If we weigh democracy in terms of how many rights we have, then we are indeed a democratic society, as democratic as can be. However, having the opportunities and capabilities necessary to exercise those rights is an entirely different thing.
A catalog of rights is of little value to individuals. A person may have rights, but if he or she cannot exercise them in a free society, then those rights become accessories to living instead of being essentials. All rights are defined by limitations and frames; while rights are absolute essentials, one can think of them as absolute limits as well. For rights to be exercised by the individual, he or she needs the avenues and tools needed to exercise those rights to the absolute maximum.
