This chapter traces the institutional origins of democracy in the Philippines. The professional politicians who led the peaceful transition to independence emerged based on the US colonial rule built upon the late Spanish-era educational reform. Unlike other Asian countries where revolutionary or military forces dominated, Filipino politicians—mainly lawyers belonging to the Nacionalista Party—monopolized political leadership through electoral and congressional institutions. The colonial authority facilitated this by promoting education and Filipinizing the bureaucracy, culminating in establishing the Commonwealth government and a two-party system. Leftist and revolutionary alternatives were marginalized, especially during the early Cold War. While democracy endured for 26 years, it ultimately collapsed in 1972 when President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law, citing threats from communists and congressional gridlock. The chapter argues that the same institutional actors who built Philippine democracy later undermined it, highlighting the strengths and limitations of politician-led decolonization.