Wexistence

The general public seem so thrilled about the automated polls generating such quick results that they’re willing to gloss over the problems that occurred. The technical glitches and the logistical problems just days before May 10, machines breaking down, disenfranchised voters, vote buying, violence, failure of elections in parts of the country. How sure are we that the votes cast were the votes counted? The organizations I’m affiliated with are receiving reports that PCOS machines in numerous areas did not count all the ballots that they were fed, which could spell the difference in extremely close mayoral and gubernatorial races. “Doomsayers” are being criticized for warning about possible election failure and cheating. Just because the worst case scenarios did not come to pass doesn’t mean that the threats weren’t real! There are still many issues that must be addressed before we can say the elections were a “success.”

The Movement for Good Governance (MGG) will release a statement soon.

There is so much I want to say about the recently concluded polls, but introspection will have to wait. I need to get back to work now.

Update May 15, 2010: IT expert and MGG convenor Gus Lagman assesses the May 10 elections

Update May 19, 2010: MGG chair Winnie Monsod tells Comelec to shape up

I received this baffling appeal to voters in my inbox this morning:

DO NOT VOTE FOR A PARTY LIST.

Remember, each party must garner a certain number of votes in order to be able to get one of their nominees seated in Congress. If NO ONE votes for party list, then NO ONE will sit in Congress and we will save that much more money.

Please encourage your friends NOT to vote for party list. Please pass.

This is only an initial study done by Kontra Daya. We’re still looking at another 20 partylist gorups with questionable goals and nominees.

The most notorious and questionable are Ang Galing Pinoy, 1-utak, Ang Kasangga, PACYAW and BIDA.

INITIAL LIST OF PARTYLISTS WITH LINKS TO THE ARROYO ADMINISTRATION by Kontra Daya (March 28, 2010)

LET’S NOT TAKE PART IN THE MOCKERY OF THE PARTY LIST. SOBRA NA ANG PANG LOLOKO SA BAYAN!!!

I don’t understand the logic of the proposal.

Let’s not vote for ANY party list because SOME people have made a mockery of the party list system? One could argue that some people have made a mockery of the entire electoral system. In which case, should we just not vote for anybody AT ALL? The presidential race is a farce! ‘Wag na tayo bumoto ng kahit presidente, kagaguhan rin naman diba?

We shouldn’t vote for ANY party lists because SOME party lists are affiliated with GMA? Here’s a subversive idea: Don’t vote for the shady ones and just vote for the legitimate ones! And why shouldn’t a legitimate party list receive its pork barrel if that pork barrel will be spent for the purposes for which it was intended?

The answer here is not “don’t vote” but rather “vote wisely.”

The party list system exists to ensure that the voices of the marginalized sectors in society are heard in Congress. It’s not a perfect system, and it is exploited by some groups/individuals, but it has its merits. Having party list representatives in Congress expands the democratic space in which people with diverse interests can participate. It introduces to the legislative agenda issues that are normally avoided by the dominant oligarchy.

District representation is based on geography. Party list representation is based on identification with the issues of a particular marginalized sector. Party lists are intended to serve as a counterbalance to traditional political parties, which we all know tend to revolve around personalities, not issues.

This study shows that bills that have been principally sponsored by party list representatives clearly reflect the political and social constituencies from which they came. Party list representatives have proposed numerous bills that would’ve greatly benefited their constituencies, but sadly none of them have been passed into law (an indication of the party list representatives’ lack of political clout). But while they may not have passed any principally-authored bills, they have significantly contributed to legislation as co-authors of laws such as the Clean Air Act.

The party list system needs to be improved and strengthened, not discarded.

On my social networks I posted a link to the Inquirer article Aquino accused of posturing on land reform issue. The article makes reference to a New York Times interview with Fernando Cojuangco, Noynoy’s cousin and chief operating officer of the holding company that owns Hacienda Luisita*, in which he said the Cojuangco clan has no intention of distributing the land to the tenants. In response to this, Cavite Rep. Crispin Remulla was quoted saying “[Noynoy] cannot control his family and shows the weakness of a person masquerading as a leader. He cannot stand up to the family patriarch and proves he is not his own man.”

A friend of mine who is a Noynoy supporter reacted negatively.

Him:

Let’s all hope then that all our cousins and assorted relatives are all virtuous, lest their actions be attributed to us.

Me:

I don’t think that’s the point. I think the concern of many is whether or not Noynoy is strong enough to resist pressure from his assorted relatives. According to Malacanang insiders during Cory’s presidency, his mother wasn’t, and the Aquino-Conjuancos supposedly had their fingers in all sorts of pies.

Him:

The point is that conclusions about his position are drawn from statements made by other people. Aquino is posturing on land reform because his cousin says he’s not serious about it? And now you’re implying because his mom wasn’t able to resist the pressure, he won’t be able to handle it either? Come on….

Me:

It’s not that I think he will succumb to the pressure simply because his mother did. The question of whether or not he will succumb is not a question of DNA. It’s a question of strength. People who knew Cory and who were there during her administration say that although Cory was a saint, she wasn’t strong enough to fend off her relatives. Is Noynoy stronger than his mother? I don’t know. So far Noynoy does not seem to be a particularly strong, decisive personality and that does not fill me with confidence.

Him:

We need Moral Leadership at this stage. The claim on intelligence, or political will, or competence are minor considerations at this stage of our collective lives. We need someone up there who at least has not YET been tainted by corruption or greed. This intelligence-competence-will argument was the exact same thing people used in 2004 when they voted for GMA. They got what they deserved. Unfortunately, so did the rest of us.

I let the exchange end there because it’s pointless to argue with people who’ve already made up their minds. But to those who are still on the fence, I pose the following questions:

Why does Noynoy have a monopoly of morality? What good is his so-called morality if he doesn’t have the intelligence to understand the nation’s problems or the will to implement politically difficult solutions? Where does his moral ascendancy come from? From his parents? On one hand, Noynoy supporters say we shouldn’t judge Noynoy on the basis of Kamag-anak, Inc. On the other, they expect us to accept his Moral Leadership on the basis of Ninoy and Cory. Ano ba talaga? Should we judge a person by their blood relations or not? Stripped of the Cory Magic and the Aquino Legacy and the messianic narratives that people have woven around him, what are we left with to judge Noynoy? Let us consider his personal merit, or lack thereof.

*GMANews.TV special report on Hacienda Luisita:
Part 1: Hacienda Luisita’s past haunts Noynoy’s future
Part 2: Cory’s land reform legacy to test Noynoy’s political will
Part 3: How a worker’s strike became the Luisita massacre
Part 4: After Luisita massacre, more killings linked to protest

Some thoughts provoked by Winnie Monsod’s Mussings*:

1. I, too, share the same fears about Manny Villar.

2. After Cory died, when people first started buzzing about a Noynoy presidency, some government insiders I know rolled their eyes at the idea and dismissed Noynoy as “tamad” and “bobo.” Senate staffers observed that Noynoy is dull, can’t seem to keep up during senate deliberations, and is a notoriously late riser because he’s up all night playing PS3. Some community organizers we work with in Nueva Ecija said that they supported Noynoy up until they actually met him at a sortie, where he did not answer their questions satisfactorily and he was so spaced out that they wondered if he was autistic. A senior government official during Cory’s presidency said that while Cory was a “saint” she did not have the intellectual prowess and technical knowledge to be an effective president. Even people who adored Cory have come to realize that pureness of heart is not enough to run a country.
3. I understand why people so desperately want to believe in Noynoy. After Erap, followed by nine years of GMA, we just want a president whom we can trust. Even if he is painfully mediocre. Sure, Noynoy’s clean and he won’t steal, but c’mon. He has no outstanding achievements and he wouldn’t have even been considered as a presidential candidate if Cory hadn’t died. It was the outpouring of love for Cory and all that she represents (hope, democracy, goodness) that propelled Noynoy to prominence. Without his Aquino lineage, he is nothing.
4. Men Sta. Ana defends Noynoy’s lackluster legislative record, saying “The number of laws sponsored by a senator or congressman does not make one a competent legislator.” Okay, sure. Quality over quantity. I get that. But seriously, 9 bills? That’s all? Miriam authored 738 in the same time period. And technically sound as Noynoy’s bills may be, they aren’t exactly exceptional. It’s not like he has gems in there like, say, Mar Roxas’ affordable medicines act or EVAT funds for educational and healthcare law.
5. During presidential debates it’s all motherhood statements, he throws around terms he clearly does not understand, and when backed into a corner he invokes the memory of his parents as a talisman against difficult questions. During the Face-to-Face forum with LGUs, Noynoy sounded like he was just parroting sound bytes that had been previously fed to him by his handlers and could not expound further. Also during that forum, it became apparent that though Noynoy is chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government, he knows nothing about local government issues, particularly devolution. His answer to everything was “Pinag-aaralan ko pa ho.”
6. While Noynoy’s campaign slogan “Kung Walang Corrupt Walang Mahirap” is emotionally compelling, it is also largely untrue. Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand are all notoriously corrupt but they were able to significantly reduce poverty. The solution to the problem of poverty is much more complex than the slogan would have you believe. Corruption is just one of many problems. Eliminate corruption and you’d still have to: (1) stabilize the country’s fiscal position; (2) provide adequate infrastructure; (3) strengthen the investment climate; (4) equitably distribute growth among sectors; (5) address the unequal pattern of development among regions; (6) alleviate demographic pressure; (7) implement genuine agrarian reform; (8) develop human capital, invest in basic services, especially education and health… and that’s just the beginning of a whole laundry list of things the next administration will have to address. An administration that is not corrupt will not necessarily know which strategies to pursue. “I will not steal” is not a substitute for “I am technically competent.” Integrity is a necessary but not sufficient condition for one seeking public office.
7. As unimpressed as I am with Noynoy, I admit that there are valid reasons to vote for him. It just annoys me that people insist on romanticizing him. Let’s recognize him for what he is: a mediocre candidate, but the only who seems capable of beating Villar in the polls. If it’s down to a choice between Noynoy and Villar, I can understand why you’d choose Noynoy. But please be honest with yourself and cut the crap about his “competence.” He is not our messiah. He has not demonstrated that he has any capacity whatsoever of fulfilling all the hopes and dreams that the nation is so eager to pin on him.
8. A number of people I respect and admire support Noynoy for pragmatic reasons. Former Finance Secretary Bobby de Ocampo told me that this election isn’t about who’s smarter or more competent, but it’s about making a clean break from the present administration. I don’t necessarily agree but it’s certainly something to think about.
9. I like many of the people who’ve chosen to rally behind Noynoy, among them Mar Roxas (accomplished in both the private and public sector, impressive legislative and executive track record, my presidential candidate if he hadn’t stepped down to make way for Noynoy), Risa Hontiveros (beauty and brains, Nobel peace prize nominee for her work as chair the Government Panel’s Reciprocal Working Committee on Socio-Economic Reforms in the Peace Talks with the National Democratic Front), Neric Acosta (distinguished academician and political scientist, principal author of many environmental laws including groundbreaking Clean Air Act), Jesse Robredo (outstanding multi-awarded Mayor of Naga City, my dream DILG Secretary), Mike Luz (former DepEd Undersecretary, the brains behind the LP platform on education, my dream DepEd Secretary). Noynoy is not lacking in advisers, intelligent people who understand our various problems and have concrete plans on how to solve them (even if Noynoy himself doesn’t). Maybe that’s enough to get him through. Maybe it’s okay that he’s not brilliant for as long as he listens to his betters. But I’m not sure.
10. I share Ma’am Winnie’s concerns about the Liberal trapos: “My only concern with Noynoy is how deep he might be in the Liberal Party and whether he has accumulate political debts to Liberal trapos. The Liberal Party, like any party, has its own share of crooks (including those bandwagon trapos who jumped off GMA’s boat to ride on Aquino’s popularity).” In that sense, Noynoy is really no different from Gibo, whose only real flaw seems to be membership in Lakas-Kampi-CMD — GMA’s party. If the concern about both candidates is political indebtedness to the trapos in their respective parties, what then makes Noynoy a more desirable candidate than Gibo?
11. Gibo’s party affiliation does concern me, but the guy is a shrewd politician. He’s managed to distance himself from GMA and the party. It’s a tough balancing act because he needs the political machinery of the party but at the same time he doesn’t agree with their positions on a lot of issues. I’m impressed by the finesse with which he’s handling himself. But I’m still wary of the people around him. And it’s still not clear who will hold important cabinet positions if he does become president. I want to make sure that no one is pulling his strings, that he won’t be so politically indebted to the party that it will compromise the decisions he’ll make in the future. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt though. Thus far he seems to be his own man. I don’t believe that if elected he will merely be the party’s lapdog.
12. Gibo is a bar topnotcher and a Harvard magna cum laude. He is intelligent. Unlike many of the candidates out there, Gibo doesn’t fumble for answers. He knows what he’s talking about. I’m impressed by the depth of his understanding of issues. (In this interview with National Artist F Sionil Jose, he answered all the questions impressively, and I particularly liked his answers on poverty, population management, and the Philippines’ “damaged culture.” He quoted Mancur Olson and Thomas Friedman in the same breath and is apparently a neo-institutionalist. Be still my heart!) He’s not afraid to take tough stances, he will say things other candidates are afraid to say (e.g. disarm government and non-government groups in ARMM, yes to comprehensive reproductive health program). As far as I’m concerned he’s out-performed all the other candidates in the presidential debates.
13. Gibo is strong and confident, but I see no traces of ego whatsoever. I like that. He does not see himself as a messiah; he is offering himself up as a humble public servant.
14. Gibo exudes sincerity. I feel like I can trust him, and his public record suggests he is deserving of that trust. He is untainted by allegations of corruption, and is by all accounts an honest man. Noynoy isn’t the only one with a legacy to protect. Gibo is proud of his name and has carefully guarded his reputation.
15. Ma’am Winnie’s criticism of Gibo isn’t even really criticism. She’s holding his “galing at talino” against him because GMA supposedly has those qualities but she turned out to be a lousy president. She’s holding his eloquence against him because Marcos was a great public speaker. Should we not elect intelligent presidents just because they’ve screwed us over in the past? We elected a dumb president (i.e. Erap) and that didn’t turn out so well for us either. Intelligence is not enough to ensure a good president. But neither is moral uprightness (e.g. Cory).

* It would seem that someone wants to use Winnie Monsod’s influence to win votes for Noynoy. Ma’am Winnie says she did not write the “Why I Will Vote for Noynoy” statement that has been attributed to her. I’m kind of relieved. I was surprised when I first read it, having previously heard her views on Noynoy. My reactions to the piece are the same regardless of who wrote it though.

Food for thought. Text messages from my mentor and former Department Chair, Clem Camposano (Director of the Institute of Political Economy at the University of Asia and the Pacific):

Anyone who shines on borrowed light should have the common sense not to plunge into the dark and forbidding pit of presidential politics.

Aside from good vs evil, other equally plausible dyads: from the poor vs. from the rich, astute vs. naive, competent vs. incompetent, masipag vs. tamad, talagang may kakayahan vs. may pangalan lang, self-made vs. privileged, his own man vs. a puppet, genuine leader vs. figure head, reality vs. illusion, practical politics vs. emotionalism.

My thoughts on the issue to follow, when I finally get around to finishing the half-written post that’s been sitting in my drafts folder.

On the front page today:

(Click to read full article)

See, I’m a big fan of Facebook/Twitter/the internet in general! Who says I don’t appreciate the power of new media?

Multi-sectoral groups wave their banners in protest

I haven’t joined a rally since Edsa II. I was in college then, and I’ve since come to realize that there are more productive ways to expend time and energy if you really want to contribute to positive social change. Which is not to say that I don’t see the value in protest actions, because I do. It’s just that in the Philippines it seems like we’re marching onto the streets every other day and somehow the frequency lessens the impact.

But anyway, I was at the anti-con-ass rally on Ayala last June 10 because I felt strongly about the cause. I will not stand for a charter change that does not reflect the will of the people, for term extensions, for no elections in 2010 and for further abuses in government. I wanted to take part in an opportunity to raise awareness about the implications of con-ass.

It started out okay. I particularly liked the skit of Paq Yu (Gabe Mercado) and Juana Change (Mae Paner); I thought they summed up the issues nicely. It started going downhill for me when the politicians started talking. I would have much preferred it if the organizers had invited on stage more representatives of the various groups present, or even just ordinary citizens from different walks of life.

Political rivals sharing the stage: a show of solidarity for a common cause or just another campaign opportunity?

Chiz Escudero, Mar Roxas, Loren Legarda, Among Ed Panlilio among others addressed the crowd. Kiko Aquino Dy read a letter from his grandmother. (I’m sorry Tita Cory, but you lost credibility with me when you started hanging out with the shadier members of the opposition. I thank you for your service to and sacrifice for the country, but you are not the moral compass of the Philippines.) JV Ejercito relayed a message from Erap. (Your father was convicted of plunder and you have the gall to get up there and pontificate?) JV was the last straw for me. I left shortly after.

A banner with the faces of the representatives who supposedly voted for HR 1109

HR 1109 was approved through a viva voce vote. The ayes won simply because they were louder than the nays. There is no official record of who voted what, so we’re not sure if the lists floating around on the internet are accurate. Our best bet is the list of those who signed as co-authors of HR 1109. Obviously (with the exemption of Rep. Luis Villafuerte, who withdrew his signature), legislators will not vote against the measure they authored. I feel that propagating a list that has not been verified is unfair to the congressmen who may not have supported the resolution.

It seemed to me that people at the rally spent more time bashing PGMA and the con-ass congressmen than talking about con-ass itself. I wasn’t expecting a scholarly debate, but is it too much to ask that we focus a little more on issues and a little less on personalities? The backdrop of the stage read “Stop Gloria’s Con-Ass” as did many of the signs and banners people were carrying. I personally am against not just Gloria’s con-ass, but I’m against any attempt to violate our democratic institutions. It’s not just about the people involved in these shenanigans, it’s about what they represent. I don’t want to see just a change in political leadership, I want to see change in our entire political culture.

This will be my last rally for a while, unless something of Edsa I proportions happens.

On a lighter note, I thought this “Amazing Map of the Philippines” was really funny, though I’m not sure why someone was carrying it around at the rally:

“SHAPE LOOK LIKE ALIEN”

Earlier that day, at an MGG meeting in the Ayala Foundation conference room:

The view of Ayala at around 4:00 PM from 10th floor of the BPI building
Me, Paeng and Quintin with the crowd growing on Paseo de Roxas in the background,
Posing with Mae in her full Juana Change glory before the rally

View the full set of photos on Flickr.

Fr. Joaquin Bernas, Former DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman, Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III
June 4, 2009 at the Ateneo de Manila University

The Constitution has not been violated — yet. According to Fr. Joaquin Bernas, Dean Emeritus of the Ateneo de Manila Law School and renowned constitutional expert, HR 1109 expresses the intent to “gang rape” the Constitution, but the actual violation has yet to occur.

Our 1987 Constitution states that constitutional amendments “may be proposed by congress” but it does not specify whether or not the House of Representatives (HOR) and the Senate must be in joint session. Fr. Bernas is of the opinion that “what the Constitution does not prohibit it allows,” therefore with or without HR 1109, the HOR already is a Constituent Assembly. As such, it can propose amendments at any time. However, Fr. Bernas stressed that any amendments proposed by the HOR must be approved by the Senate.

HR 1109 stipulates that the HOR and the Senate would vote jointly—not separately—to amend the 1987 Constitution. Clearly, the HOR seeks to render the Senate useless, because the larger House membership could override any Senate objections to proposed amendments. Is this constitutional? Could the HOR actually proceed without the Senate?

Fr. Bernas says it could, but only if the Supreme Court is complicit. In which case, it would play out this way: The HOR would bring the amended Constitution to COMELEC for a plebiscite. A case would be brought before the Supreme Court. Supreme Court would rule that the proposed amendments were valid even without Senate approval. The plebiscite would proceed and the Filipino people would vote on the amended Constitution.

The approval of HR 1109 has sparked outrage from multi-sectoral groups all over the country who fear that charter amendments could pave the way for the Arroyo administration to remain in power. How real is the threat of term extension? Sec. Dinky Soliman described four possible scenarios:

• …The Supreme Court decides that a Senate less CONASS is valid. Plebiscite continues, it is a yes victory and the election of May 10, 2010 is an election for a parliamentary form of government. GMA runs on a district in Pampanga. She wins and becomes eventually the Prime Minister.This scenario assumes that the outraged and protest from the citizenry is weak.

• …The Supreme Court declares that Congress is a bicameral body therefore the Senate is needed. Election fever catches up. A presidential election is held in May 10, 2010.This scenario assumes that there is significant citizen’s lobby to stop CONASS and chahcha. The citizen’s actions is a major influence in the assessment and judgement of the justices in the Supreme Court.

• …There is building outrage from the citizens and more street actions are undertaken. Malacanang rides on the anger of the people and organizes violent incidents that will then be the basis for emergency rule. This scenario assumes that citizen’s actions are not organized and disciplined which creates the conditions for infiltration and manipulated violence from the enemies of democracy.

• …The debate and deliberation in the Supreme Court takes a long time and it gets overtaken by election on May 10, 2010. GMA runs for Congress in Pampanga she wins, the administration candidates win too. They get the Supreme Court go ahead and convenes a Constituent Assembly, converts Congress into a parliament and GMA is elected as Prime Minister. This scenario assumes that the 2010 election is dominated by the allies of GMA and her candidates wins. This scenario assumes that transactional politics was the dominant practice and cheating, vote buying and killing will be the norm in the election of 2010. This means the citizen’s action was weak and we failed to educate and mobilize active citizenship.

Fr. Bernas emphasized that term extension would only be possible with the cooperation of the Supreme Court and the military.

When asked if there was any indication which way the Supreme Court would rule, Sec. Soliman replied that presently the justices are being very careful. They know the implications of their decision and cannot be seen as having a position. Political analysts have raised the question, will “utang na loob” prevail in a decision made by GMA-appointed justices? Based on past decisions, Sec. Soliman said that the Supreme Court has shown that it is independent.

Sec. Soliman was less optimistic about the military. AFP Chief Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit’s loyalties clearly lie with GMA. He served as her PSG commander and she is an adopted member of his PMA Class (Class ’78). It does not seem unlikely that Gen. Bangit would be complicit to a repeat of the 2004 presidential elections in which ranking military officers participated in massive election fraud or to emergency rule.

According to Rep. Guingona, right now there is a lot of confusion in the House. Even the proponents of the HR 1109 are all saying different things, no one seems to know what will happen next. What is clear is that (1) HR 1109 is the first overt step to change the constitution; and (2) There is a mastermind behind all this.

Rep. Guingona recounted the events at the House on June 2: “We were supposed to take up land reform. They did not continue… And you could feel their battering ram, like a railroad, you could feel the pressure. Let’s do this, let’s do this. They were ramming it on us… Imagine, this is changing the Constitution. And after four measly hours of debate, of interpellation, suddenly somebody stands up and moves that we close the debate and go into voting… Terrible, sickening, disheartening.”

“It is true, there was a threat. Those who would go against this charter change would receive no pork barrel,” said Rep. Guingona. “The CDF… is what is being used to control the congressmen and their votes.” Neither the CDF nor the funds for various pump-priming projects have been released.

HR 1109 is clearly just the tip of the iceberg. It is part of a much larger plot, but at this point no one is sure what that plot is. Term extension is a possibility, but there may be others that have not yet been identified. All we know is that it represents an insidious threat to our democracy.

What can we ordinary citizens do? We can be informed and be vigilant. We can express an opinion and make our voices heard. We can write our congressmen or write letters to the editor. We can raise awareness and educate others using our mobile phones, our blogs and our social networks. We can engage our families, our friends and our communities in dialogue. We can get involved with groups and organize rallies, concerts, foras and various other activities.

We cannot afford to sit back and be passive observers; there is too much at stake. If we want to live in a democratic society we need to fight for it. Now is the time to make our stand.

On the recent events at the House of Representatives, someone on one of my social networks commented:

These representatives sure don’t seem to be representing us the way they’re voting in the congress these days. When was the last time your congressman actually too the time to ask his constituents what they needed or wanted?

I replied:

I think they do represent us, but not in the sense that they represent our best interests. They represent us in the sense that they are reflections of our values and attitudes. They are products of our political culture.

One of my mentors at my university explained it this way: “It is convenient to blame all this on the rapacity and moral turpitude of our politicians. But, is it not that politicians merely play by the unwritten rules of this sordid game? How much of this corruption is due to popular complicity? Is not the craving for pork partly driven by the electorate’s own insistence that their congressmen always bring home the bacon, so to speak? [You can't have bacon without pork, can you?] There is a seemingly benign Tagalog expression whose implications for political and public life I have only recently discerned. It goes something like this: Walang hindi nadada-an sa magandang usapan. This wonderful formula belongs to everyday life, does it not?”

He replied:

I certainly don’t disagree with you. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone say “Tatakbo na lang ako sa Kongreso para yumaman ako” implicitly agreeing to the corruption that’s been going on.

Yet on another level I can’t agree as well. I can’t quite put myself to believe that all of us would think that way… course if that’s the case, we’re pretty much doomed as a nation, cha-cha or no cha-cha.

I replied:

I’m not saying all of us think that way. I’m saying that has been our prevailing culture. But I don’t think we’re doomed. The fact that we have a growing pool of outstanding local government executives shows that Philippine political culture is changing.

There are numerous examples of well-run communities in the country. Marikina, Naga (which was recognized by the World Bank in 2003 as one of the world’s model cities), Davao and Puerto Princesa are just some of the more famous examples. Less famous examples would include Lanuza Bay municipalities in Mindanao, Pandan in Antique and Iriga in Camarines Sur. Examining these cases should give us a more nuanced view of Philippine society and the potential for genuine democratic politics.

A Statement by Young Public Servants (YPS)

Our Constitution, the fundamental law of the land, can be changed in three ways. One is through a Constitutional Convention where delegates are elected by the people. This is how our 1987 constitution was drafted. Second is through an initiative where twelve percent (12%) of the total registered voters can sign a petition for charter change. Each legislative district must be represented by at least three percent (3%) of its registered voters. And finally, through a Constituent Assembly where Congress (House of Representative and the Senate) transforms itself into a body that changes or amends the constitution. This is more popularly referred to today as the Con Ass.

The debate today is not whether Con Ass is a valid way to change the constitution. It is. Rather, it is the way the House of Representatives formed the Constituent Assembly. In our current constitution it simply states that the Constituent Assembly is formed by a vote of 3/4 of all the members of Congress. It is not stated if the vote is done separately in the House of Representatives and Senate. A 3/4 vote means 176 congressmen and 17 senators voting separately or 196 congressmen plus senators voting as one.

House Bill 1109 was passed on 2 June 2009 with a vote of majority of the Congressmen present. The way this resolution was passed has been questioned by many as unconstitutional. It does not follow the process written out to form a constituent assembly. Only the Supreme Court can now decide whether this is Constitutional or not.

Changing our constitution is a valid exercise of our democracy but the question to ask is this: Do we need to change it now? And do we trust our Congressmen to amend it in the interest of the people. We are in the midst of gearing up for a 2010 Presidential election. 57% of the voting population is made up of youth and young professionals. If there is increased political participation among the youth then we carry the key in leading effective change in the country. And we would want to be a part of any discussion that changes our Constitution.

Young Public Servants works to build a nation of Filipino youth engaged in Good Governance, the foundation of which should be Good Citizenship. As a member of Youth Vote Philippines, YPS believes that engaging more Young Filipinos to register and vote provides the best anchor for sustained and increased political participation. In the next couple days we should all do one or all of the following (1) Read HB 1109 (2) Be updated about moves to change the constitution (3) Engage your friends and family in discussions about what scenarios the Con Ass can bring (4) Continue this discussion online – social networking sites, blogs – get your opinion out (5) Get involved in activities where you can express your opinion or show support (www.yps.org.ph will provide a list of activities you can join as activities are organized). (6) Know if your district representative voted for HB 1109 or not (7) Attend the Con Ass forum at the Ateneo (today at 4 pm) (8) Organize your own fora in your schools and communities (9) Work harder at getting more young voters registered and engaged to vote in 2010 (10) Visit www.youthvotephilippines.com and www.yps.org.pg

For comments and inquiries email info@yps.org.ph or yvotephilippines@gmail.com

* House Bill 1109 is a resolution calling upon the members of congress to convene for the purpose of considering proposals to amend or revise the constitution upon a vote of three fourths of congress
* There are 216 district representatives and 22 party-list representatives for a total of 238 representatives. Including the senate (23) this makes a total of 261.