Every six years, the Philippines seems to reinvent itself. One administration may prosecute officials that the next administration protects, or a president elevates an international arbitration victory as the centerpiece of their foreign policy, then the next sets it aside.
Government priorities change so dramatically that every election feels less like choosing a government than replacing one entirely. This is strange. In a constitutional democracy, elections are expected to change policies, not how institutions function. Courts are supposed to continue checking those in power regardless of who wins. Political parties are supposed to retain coherent identities beyond a single administration. Bureaucracies are supposed to preserve continuity long after presidents leave office.
But in the Philippines, continuity often appears to depend on whoever holds political power rather than on the institutions themselves.