No way for an EDSA III
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Fidel Valdez Ramos
CONTINUING political intrigues, coffee shop speculations, media reports, and texted rumors to the effect that martial law will soon be imposed by the Government or that a coup attempt by anti-Arroyo forces will succeed are all B...S.... They are just that – cow dung. These favorite themes of political brokers and opinion manipulators are clearly intended to create new instabilities in an already muddled situation in the remote hope that, somehow, a convergence of negative factors will bring down the Arroyo government. This counter-productive, no-win game has been going on since Day-1 of the Arroyo administration almost without let-up. The already polluted political atmosphere is being further poisoned by the insistence of "reliable sources" to float alleged plans of Malacañang to impose martial law and the equally vehement denials of the Presidential Spokesman against such dire happenings. Aren’t our people anymore entitled to a more civilized discourse and reporting on current events?
At any given time, the peddling of stories about martial law or police/military oppression and/or destabilization plots are doing a great disservice to our people. During this period of economic uncertainty and political anxiety around the world, and with reduced foreign direct investments and sagging people’s morale here at home, the impact of such are especially damaging and unforgivable. This is the general feeling of dismay about the Philippines expressed to me by foreign leaders and Filipino community representatives during a series of round-table discussions, lectures and speeches I made in Germany and Brussels ( EU) last week.
So far, the most serious attempt to remove President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the riotous and bloody power grab for Malacañang on 30 April-1 May 2001 by a leaderless pro-Estrada crowd transported from around Metro Manila. Even if it failed miserably, at the cost of the lives of several urban poor, that futile effort has been mistakenly labeled as "EDSA III" by many people – even by PGMA herself. In my view, there was no such thing as "EDSA III." Nor will there be any "EDSA IV, V, etc." in the future of the likes of EDSA I and EDSA II, which both succeeded in regime change – peacefully, non-violently, and generally applauded both by the Filipino people and the international community. "EDSA III" was so unlike our two "People Power" revolutions in that, at the frontlines of Malacañang, it became just a mob without a leader and collapsed within 24 hours after riot police units broke them up.
No more people power revolutions
Many powerful factors work against another "People Power" revolution – as some opposition diehards are trying hard to organize – and will not again happen for the following reasons:
(1) Our people are tired of the constant political bickering, bashing, and badmouthing. They would want to carry on with their daily lives and still entertain some hope remaining for a better future for themselves and their families.
(2) The economic – not the political – concerns of the citizenry are the main sources of unending stress and anxiety on the part of ordinary people because of higher oil prices (and, therefore, higher costs of transportation, food, housing, and services), a non-improving peso, lower credit ratings, and increasing joblessness.
(3) Those calling for the resignation or removal of PGMA are still headless and scattered. Although some of the more militant groups may be well-organized and articulate, the anti-government forces are divided in their agenda, interests and prescriptions, and are largely confined to a few of our urban centers.
(4) There is today very little indication of a nationwide outrage like that which preceded the downfall of the Marcos regime after the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in August 1983. Neither has there been any spark large enough to trigger any outrage into a massive uprising. Even the combination of the dramatic events of the 8th of July when a triple whammy hit PGMA was not enough to pull her down. The political opposition, civil society protesters and the coup-plotters – whoever they are – seem to forget that EDSA I took place only after the passage of 13 years of strongman rule and kleptocracy. The non-opening of the "2nd envelope" during the Estrada impeachment trial in January 2001, fueled by the texting frenzy of students and the middle class, was what triggered people’s dissatisfaction with the government and that, in turn, exploded into EDSA II.
(5) Still absent from the convergence of anti-government forces at this time is the involvement of significant elements of the Armed Forces and the National Police – which, as admitted by the opposition leaders, is the crucial component needed to topple PGMA. What most analysts overlook is the fact and the historical reality that, during the period 1986 to 1991, the Armed Forces (which then included the Philippine Constabulary/Integrated National Police), effectively supported the Aquino government in defeating 9 coup attempts that were shoot-to-kill military encounters. The major units of the AFP and the PNP of today are commanded by generals and senior officers – who were the majors and lieutenant colonels commanding the units that helped to overcome the military rebels of the Aquino era. The steadfastness of the present chain-of-command in defending Constitutional authority and protecting the safety of the people should be gauged from the loyal support they and their forebears gave the Aquino government, and not from their possible defection to the opposition today – as what happened during the Marcos and Estrada administrations or the mutiny of various disgruntled military elements in the "Gregorio Honasanstyle," for that matter.
We Filipinos may now be depending too much on "People Power" as a political doctrine. That should really be the last resort for national transformation. We cannot have a citizen’s revolution – no matter how peaceful – done regularly, frequently, predictably, or on call. In the future, we may not be as lucky, we may not be as blessed, and we may not be as united as we were during EDSA I and EDSA II when people appeared massively and voluntarily and leaders were on-the-spot to direct and manage the events.
Constitutional Change
A clear national consensus for amending the 1987 Constitution has now formed. The amendments I most want to be enacted are those that would transform our Presidential form of government to a parliamentary system, initially under a unitary framework, and then, eventually, under a Federal configuration when the problems of terrorism, separatism, insurgency and military adventurism shall have been overcome.
I would also encourage and support Constitutional reforms that would ensure the sharing of political power among a broader base of leaders and stakeholders. The evils of "dynastism" and "turncoatism" should be frontally addressed in the amended Constitution. With both chambers of Congress unable or unwilling, since 1987, to define in the law these unwanted practices which must be immediately corrected, it is necessary to articulate the definitions, and incorporate the prohibitions and the penalties for non-compliance in the body and language of the Constitution itself. Electoral, political party and judicial reforms are also urgently called for. On the other hand, I have great hopes for our local governments as laboratories for political innovation – for developing more efficient, more accountable, and more decentralized forms of government. LGUs should, therefore, be given greater autonomy under a process of further devolution, decentralization, deregulation, democratization (of opportunity), and development (of a sustainable kind) – i.e., our 5 D’s of good governance.
The Unholy Alliance
What I regard as the root cause of many of our problems is the intimate link, call it the unholy alliance, between business and politics in this country. Throughout our history, wealthy, powerful and politically entrenched families have been able to use public authority for their private benefit. This durable oligarchy has used the powers of the State to create opportunities for themselves to make money and more money – without having to create economic value for the common good.
It is time we put an end to this perverse symbiosis – which at bottom is responsible for our endemic problems of greedy rent-seeking, crony capitalism, and patronage politics. One oft-repeated way of changing all this – which bears repeating here – is to continue leveling the playing fields of economic competition and political participation.
Above all, our elected leaders must never lose sight of the vision of a safer, more secure, and more progressive Philippines, at peace with itself and with the world, and restored to its rightful place of respect and dignity in the community of nations – a position which we once occupied. And ordinary citizens, as concerned Filipinos, must all help push our beloved Philippines fast forward to a better future.
Most Important Message
Having said all that, let me conclude with a vitally important message for all our elected and judicial leaders.
(1) Time is of extreme urgency – more so for common Filipinos, considering our present condition of deteriorating competitiveness and credibility as a developing nation. Money lost or goodwill dissipated can still be recovered – but time squandered, especially in political intramurals, will be forever gone, never to return. For the Filipino poor, their upliftment through their own self-reliance and community support is a daily struggle for survival. So – let us not prolong their agony. Without further delay, let us do the Constitutional reforms, legislative policies, and executive actions essential to sustained progress and development.
(2) We need to reinforce our unity, solidarity and teamwork in order to project into the highly competitive world of the 21st century a winning Philippine national contingent that will gain its rightful place in the lead pack – where we had once been. None of us relish the probability that the Philippines may be relegated to the "kulelat" (rear-end) position. The time for us to put our act together is NOW.
Please send any comments to rpdev@skyinet.net.
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