| Provisional Government By Antonio C. Abaya January 28, 2004 Regular readers of this space know that for the past two years or so, I have been urging the establishment of an extra-constitutional provisional government on the grounds that the present political system has grown so corrupted and debased and disfigured that it is no longer capable of cleansing or regenerating itself. I have variously referred to this proposed extra-constitutional government as a revolutionary government, a government of national renewal, a government of national salvation, a transition government, or a provisional government. But the rationale for it has remained unchanged, namely, that we have unwittingly descended into the black pit of immoral and amoral politics and we cannot emerge from it into the sunlight under the present political system. On the contrary, as the recent orgy of the trapos earlier this month has clearly shown, our politics has degenerated, with a few exceptions, into a contest between the execrable and the abominable, and we in the middle class who are caught in between must protest to high heavens the poverty of choices available to us. Only last Tuesday, Jan. 20, Manila Auxillary Bishop Socrates Villegas accused the trapos of �abusing and betraying people power� and called on Filipinos not to �allow them to destroy our nation�..This is only the third anniversary of EDSA Dos. What has happened to us?�.I am confused. I am disillusioned. I am afraid of what awaits the country. I must confess that I am at the brink of giving up. I am on the edge of despair�� (Inquirer, Jan 21). So what are you going to do about it, Bishop Villegas? And, by extension, you too in the middle class? Will you nurse your despair into an immobilizing phobia, frozen as you are by the need to conform to the constitutional limits of political action? If so, then it is best to remind you and everyone else that Corazon Aquino was not elected to the presidency in 1986, nor Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2001. Both became president as a result of extra-constitutional processes bordering on, but not quite, the revolutionary. In the case of Cory Aquino, she lost in the snap elections to Ferdinand Marcos, according to the official Comelec count. She won in the unofficial Namfrel count, but this tally was based on the results from only 72% of the precincts, the extent of Namfrel�s coverage. If the results from the remaining 28% (from the rural areas, usually the bailiwicks of sitting presidents) had been inputted, it is very possible that Cory�s already shrinking lead would have been overtaken and that Marcos would have won even in the Namfrel count. This should not be interpreted as a revisionist attempt to restore Marcos to respectability, only to remind everyone that extra-constitutional processes are not as unthinkable and remote from our recent national experience as some of us may dismissingly think. There is now a gathering ferment to re-examine our political system and to explore the possibility of postponing the 2004 elections. Gen. (Ret.) Fortunato Abat, head of a group of other retired generals and admirals, was the lead signatory in a full-page ad taken out the other week in a major broadsheet by the Alliance of National Transformation and Solidarity (ANTS) that called for a transition government. Abat says �One more insistent step to elect and perpetuate a totally corrupt political system will push the whole Filipino nation, all of us, our institutions, our future generations, down the rubble and excrement of dirty politics. Why waste the people�s money.� Abat has called on President Arroyo to step down and on Vice-President Teofisto Guingona to serve as caretaker of a transition government. (Today, Jan 28). Another group, the Citizen�s Committee on the National Crisis, led by nationalist lawyer Alejandro Lichauco, has sent an open letter to AFP Chief-of-Staff Gen. Narciso Abaya calling on the AFP to stage a �temporary military takeover� of the government �premised on the AFP�s constitutional mandate as protector of the people and the State.� Lichauco said �we want to explain to the AFP that there is an imminent danger. We are afraid we will reach a point when a situation of chaos will arise and the AFP could no longer have control over it. This is the time to save the situation.� (Today, Jan.27). Meanwhile a different kind of takeover may be in the works, according to the banner story of Today (Jan. 28), which claims that �failed coup plotter and now Sen. Gregorio Honasan has been tagged in an alleged plot to assassinate presidential candidates Fernando Poe Jr. and Raul Roco to create a scenario of confusion and chaos� to pave the way for a civilian-military junta. Honasan, who staged (failed) coups against the Aquino Government in 1987 and 1989 and against the Arroyo Government in 2003, was originally a presidential contender for 2004, but withdrew and instead became head of security of frontrunner FPJ. Honasan�s accuser, a spokesman for a party-list group, claims they had infiltrated Honasan�s group when it held a meeting on Jan. 23 in Santa Cruz (Laguna) where the plot was allegedly hatched. Would Honasan conspire to assassinate his own new boss? So what else would be new if he did? For my part, when I was interviewed by Yvette Novenario last Saturday Jan. 24 on ANC�s 7 O�Clock News, I proposed the formation of a provisional government, to be headed by a respected elder statesman like Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. or former Senate President Jovito Salonga, and to include in its governing council the major presidential (FPJ, Roco, Lacson) and vice-presidential (De Castro, Legarda, Aquino) contenders. President Arroyo should be excluded to erase any suspicion that the provisional government is a mere ruse to extend her stay in power. The governing council should also include prominent non-trapo members from various sectors such as the business community, the labor unions, the communist movement, the Bangsa Moro, civil society, the Churches and the mainstream military and police. The mandate of the provisional government should be to rewrite the rules of engagement in our electoral system so as to reduce the cost of running for office (and thus the corruption that over-spending spawns), to discourage turn-coatism (by penalizing it), to require all candidates for all offices to undergo qualifying exams (and thus weed out the illiterates and the insurmountably dumb), to dismantle the political dynasties, to neutralize the unfair advantage of showbiz fornicators over other candidates, to disqualify the morally unfit (convicted child rapists, fugitives from the FBI, electoral cheats, bigamists, the criminally inclined, etc) ��so that in two or three years we can again hold elections, but under more mature, civilized and truly democratic conditions. Tall order? Of course, it is. But what are the alternatives? More of the same disgusting political perversions. Or a military junta. Or total chaos. Either scenario would accelerate the exodus (current rate: 3,500 a day) of Filipinos from their country, including some of our best teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, mechanics, electricians, computer techies, accountants, managers and entrepreneurs.. Which means the accelerated deterioration of our quality of life and the further decline in our ability to compete economically with the rest of the world. ***** How do you reduce the cost of running for office? I said on TV that two of the major expenses for most candidates are 1) the posting of millions of posters, handbills and streamers, many of them larger than the Comelec-specified size and most of them affixed illegally in places specifically banned by the Comelec; and 2) the buying of radio and TV time to project their infomercials. If the Comelec were to deputize the candidates themselves and their crews to remove illegal and illegally affixed posters, handbills and streamers, the horrible visual pollution that disfigures our already ugly towns and cities every election year would be drastically reduced. Candidates A and B will on their own initiative remove the illegal and illegally affixed posters etc of Candidate C. So will Candidates A and C the illegal and illegally affixed posters etc of Candidate B. So will Candidates B and C the illegal and illegally affixed posters etc of Candidate A. The self-interest of all three candidates would, therefore, cancel out each other�s illegal propaganda. Of course, this being the Philippines, at the start there will be fistfights, knife-fights and gunfights over the mutual cleaning up, but in time everyone will get the message that they have to follow the rules. To level the playing field on radio and TV and reduce candidates� expenses, the current ban on radio and TV political ads should stay and be enforced even more strictly. Instead the three government-owned TV networks (Ch 4, Ch 9 and Ch 13, and their regional TV and radio satellites) should be turned over to the Comelec during the campaign season for the exclusive but equitably apportioned use of the candidates and their political parties, and all for free.. Depending on the extent of their regional satellites, one network should be for Luzon, the second for the Visayas, the third for Mindanao. The programming should be for local candidates only in the mornings and afternoons. In the evenings, the three networks combine as one and devote their programming to candidates for national offices and their platforms of government. Civil society groups can monitor the programs to make sure that the air time is equitably distributed, that there are no infomercials, no product endorsement by any candidate, no favoritism by the station managers, etc.***** The bulk of this article appears in the February 07, 2004 issue of the Philippines Free Press magazine. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Provisional Government� Including recent reactions to earlier columns and unrelated opinions sent by viewers. Tony, I just finished reading your latest article. I find the ideas you have proposed here debatable, and will send you my comments, along with those from my associates who are in my regular personal distribution lists. (mostly USA-based). I do not, personally, agree with some analyses and interpretations as to the causes of specific problems, and the corresponding "solutions" you have proposed. The 57 year old political, economic and religious problems of the country have all become too complex to be resolved by a simple "change of form of government". The country's problems have been intertwined too intricately, and embedded so deeply in the Pilipino lifestyle and the entire society's well-nurtured practices and conflicting advocacies of "self-governance" and "self-rule", that a simple change in its present bureaucratic infrastructure cannot possibly be the only viable solution. However, I find your approach and ideas to ventilating the problems and formulating solutions, HONEST, STRAIGHTFORWARD, WELL-RESEARCHED, WELL-THOUGHT OUT, AND CLEARLY EXPRESSED. It's an EXCELLENT START to identifying the root causes of the problems. Now, all we need to do is to agree on the formulas to solve these, then find the means to finance them. It's simple when you agree on what the problems really are, and are sincerely motivated to solve them. Will revert with more specific comments from others, also. Stimulating and challenging piece. MORE POWER, Tony. Pepeton J�anton, [email protected] January 30, 2004 ���������������� Mr. AC Abaya; After three emails from you, I feel I should give you a response. First, who are you and how did you get my email address? Why am I considered "Undisclosed Recipient" What ever gave you the conclusion that I might be interested in the corruption that permeates the Filipino society? I almost rode your "Provisional Government" scenario until I read that part wherein you included the the 'church' as a member of the group. For your information, in case you are not aware, the church is one of the major causes of the Philippine's moral demise. Since the Spaniards brought them over in the early 15-hundreds, the church has not done anything to lift the standard of living of the native Filipino. If you call the going to heaven after death as a part of improvement then so be it; however, one can not and never have been able to take that to the bank to feed one's family. I am a Catholic, but I cannot accept the church's teaching that people are poor because God willed it so and therefoer they must go ahead an suffer and accept this suffering as the will of God. Horse manure ! Your newspapers should stop giving the church a soap-box to stand on; just as they give Erap the attention he is no longer entitled to. . Allow them to go ahead and spread the faith; but once they get into politics as they Filipino churches do, then you have to have the guts to tell them, " Oops sorry father, if you want to maintain the separation of church and state then please be quiete. The Filipinos have enough credible intelligence to be able to decide what is good for them. The Filipinos do not need the church to tell how to have a good, moral and democratic givernemtn. Give the Filipinos the proper education and they will be able to earn and feed their family. Don't give them charity; instead of giving them fish to eat, teach them how to catch fish. john d. del rosario, [email protected] January 30, 2004 MY REPLY. Although I am neither Catholic nor Protestant nor INK, I do recognize that the Churches (here used generically to include Catholic, Protestant, Aglipay, INK, El Shaddai, Muslim etc) exert some influence on their members and hence should be included in any redefinition of the Philippine political system, your opinions notwithstanding. I do not know exactly where we got your email address, but most probably from the hundreds of email messages we get every week from various sources, with CCs attached. Like thousands of others in our list, you are an �Undisclosed Recipient� so that your email address is kept private. ���������������� EXCELLENT PIECE, TONY. THANK YOU. Rafe S Donato FSCDe La Salle Lipa1962 JP Laurel HighwayLipa City, Batangas 4217Philippineswebsite: www.lasalipa.edu.ph ����������������������. Dear Mr.Abaya, Please allow me to totally disagree with your suggestions. History has taught that, every time democracy is erased, the country concerned takes a big step backward and sooner or later has to start all over again from the mistakes it was making. In addition it seems to me quite naive to believe that you could have a non-elected provisional government without military intervention and a strong man in charge. This will mean no more free speech and criticism and therefore corruption would run even higher without public scrutiny. It is not a matter of political system, it is a matter of people and their culture. And I believe the best solution is for Filipinos to continue with the present system, learn from their mistakes and I am absolutely confident that sooner or later people will elect a good leader (what about Roco?) and a good government. Reverting to strong governments is like for an addict going back to drugs in the illusion of solving his problems. Sooner or later he will die or have to face reality. Best regards, Ugo Guido, [email protected] January 30, 2004 MY REPLY. Thank you for your opinion. You have to understand the frustration of many concerned Filipinos that the present political system has failed to propel this country to the same level as its formerly inferior neighbors and is set to drag us deeper into the pits with the prospective election to the presidency of a totally ignorant person, against whom someone like Roco (�what about Roco,� you asked) has no chances of winning. �Reverting to strong governments� does not seem to have resulted in the �death� of South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Thailand. ���������������� Would, could, should . . . blah, blah, blah. You could never get GMA (nor any other president) to admit total failure and relinquish power in favor of anybody, not for a single day. Even if the caretaker was a saint. Therefore, to remove her from power you would have to do it by force. So does that mean you are now advocating a coup? Tall order indeed. Those idealistic points and conditions you are enumerating are a nice, but utopian, pipe dream. If the human resources existed here in large enough numbers to bring about all those ideals, they would long have been achieved one way or another, or at least be under construction. But it only seems to get worse. Our trouble is that the barbarians in the Senate have been in the majority, Velarde envelope, etc., things that would never have happened in a decent Senate. All it takes to correct that is to eliminate or at least reduce the individual barbarians. That means identifying and pillorying them so the voters clearly know who is good and bad for them. The motto should be - get the barbarians out of the Senate. And don't forget who is directly responsible for the mess today. It was Cory Aquino and Cardinal Sin who almost single-handedly prevented the re-election of Ramos in 98 and thus brought about the Estrada monstrosity. Why aren't their feet held closer to the fire for their colossal stupidity and its dire consequences? Peter J. Ritter, [email protected] January 30, 2004 MY REPLY. Your solution, �get the barbarians out of the Senate� sounds so simple, why hasn�t anyone thought of it? But, pray, tell, how do you go about doing it? Especially since, from the current surveys, there will be more barbarians in the Senate, not less, after May 10. What do you propose to do then�.blah, blah and more blah? If you think Fidel Ramos was/is the next best solution, then you should support the initiative of retired general Fortunato Abat and his ANTS for the postponement of the May 10 elections and the establishment of a �transition government.�. Gen. Abat was appointed AFP Chief-of-Staff, then later Philippine ambassador to China, by FVR and may be the point man for a Ramos restoration. Just keep in mind, however, that it was the weakling FVR who �punished� the first putschists with 30 push-ups (and thus encouraged others); it was permissive FVR who allowed the MILF to keep their Camp Abubakar (and thus encouraged them to build 23 others); it was the na�ve FVR who embraced free trade and globalization without question (and thus ruined thousands of local producers and threw hundreds of thousands of Filipino workers out of work). ���������������.. With the elections only 100 days away and GMA not willing to budge from her position, how can this plan work? What is its success rate? And how can we be sure that this is the solution to our country�s problem? I too have dreams of unselfishly uplifting our nation, so i will like to help if this for the good of the country and its people. David Dangelo, [email protected] National Sec. Gen � Brotherhood of Destiny or BROOD January 30, 2004 MY REPLY. Not even God would know the �success rate� of anything in the Philippines. And no one can really be sure if anything can be �the solution to our country�s problem.� You have to use your own discernment to decide which tack to take and which initiative to support. Right now you have a choice between a) the status quo and welcoming FPJ as our next president; or b) a �temporary military takeover� advocated by Alejandro Lichauco and his Citizens� Committee on the Nation�s Crisis; c) a �transition government� to be headed by VP Teofisto Guingona, as advocated by Ret. Gen. Fortunato Abat and his ANTS; or d) a military junta headed by Gringo Honasan after the alleged elimination of FPJ; or e) a provisional civilian government to be headed by Hilario Davide or Jovito Salonga, but supported by the mainstream military, as advocated by this writer. The events of the next few weeks and months will likely determine which way the cookie will crumble. ����������������. (Through the kompil2 egroup) Like many in this elist forum, I'm sure, we can all agree that what Tony Abaya has conjured is a consummation devoutly to be wished. But for such a miracle to happen one has to revel in what's self-contradictory, meaning, to think rotten politicians will do what's right, what's moral, what's patriotic. They're too far gone to be able to get on the straight and narrow. Horrible as it may be to contemplate, the likeliest scenario is for widespread turmoil, chaos, and violence to follow elections 2004. It's the kind of situation that will justify military intervention to restore order. Maybe, just maybe, Fidel V. Ramos will be at the head of this group of messiahs that hold power. Ramos is in his twilight years when earthly pleasures, pomp, wealth, vainglory are no longer primordial. Yet he's still full of vigor and still haunted by wondrous visions for our country. I think he can and will do what is right, moral, patriotic, and impossible. Vicente de Jesus, [email protected] January 30, 2004 MY REPLY. I did not, even for a second, think that �rotten politicians will do what�s right, what�s moral, what�s patriotic.� The rewriting of the rules of engagement in our political system has to be done not by the trapos (who will oppose all meaningful changes) but by something like my proposed provisional government, which would be headed by a widely respected non-trapo like Hilario Davide Jr. or Jovito Salonga, and which would be made up largely of non-trapo civilian members but supported by the mainstream military. I do not see �widespread turmoil, chaos and violence� before the elections except if FPJ were to be disqualified on a technicality like his citizenship. Such turmoil, chaos and violence would be likely after the elections, if FPJ were to lose and his supporters are convinced that he has been cheated. Any revolt of the masa for FPJ will be taken over by the communists, who will incorporate it at once into the armed class struggle of their socialist revolution, in preparation for the allegedly inevitable triumph of Communism. ����������������.. (Through the kompil2 egroup) Hi, all: From the grassroots communities of Mindanao (being based in Cagayan de Oro and mobile throughout) I've been silently following the exchange on this topic on this site and I can understand the extreme frustration and exasperation at not finding the silver (or golden?) bullet that can put the rotting carrion of our politics to eternal rest so a new one can established. Now that someone has finally acknowledged that this is in fact "an elitist forum," I think you put your finger on the root of the whole mess. Elitist.Searching for neat solutions. Asking others to do it. Anyway I look at it, you're saying we should replace today's rotten oligarchy with another oligarchy. My worm's-eye view tells me what we should be about is activating real democracy. People Power. As already mandated by law but never operationalized because the elitists don't bother with the primary level of governance -- their own barangay government. The rot in our system is at the base. The rot at the top is the effect of the rot at the base. Take the forthcoming elections. While everyone is pontificating and erecting their wailing walls about doomsday should candidate x or candidate y be elected, no one is bothering about where and who decide elections. Every voter and every precinct, Comelec or police, is in one's barangay. But only the trapos are tending to them while the elite meet in airconditioned function rooms or in the antiseptic campuses of Loyola Heights and such. All decisions in the community are taken up in the barangay hall but the elite ignore them, not bothering to look in and check what they take up. Naturally, their highflown rhetoric and sanctimonious values aren't felt in the community. Even their economic and social clout --being the so-called movers and shakers of society -- have no impact on the opinions or values of misguided folks in their immediate community whom they never see, let alone mix with. The live right next door but the masa see them only on TV talk shows and socials. They're not real. In ignoring their own neighborhoods, erecting high walls to insulate themselves from the rot around them, they widen the cracks among the classes. Of the nation's 42,000 barangays, is there any that can be said to have a consensus on any issue? Fractured, fractious communities cannot bring about a united nation. The nation today is nothing but the sum of our fractured, fractious communities. The oligarchy at the top is the product of the 42,000 small-time oligarchies that the elite allow to rule their own communities. They look down on the local government officials instead of see that they do their job by being there. But they spend their time and air the gripes in their exclusive clubs and gated enclaves. The elite have got to get off their high horse and walk around in their neighborhood and get the community to meet as a community, not as tribes and sectors and interest groups. That's what the Barangay Assembly is supposed to be -- a venue for the entire community to meet and evolve consensus and political will. Just like the kibbutz of Israel or the canton of Switzerland or the Town Hall meeting in middle America. Check our Sections 384, 397 and 398 of the Local Government Code. We've had these local parliaments on the books for over a decade and no one bothers, not even those who claim authorship of the Code like Nene Pimentel. The local officials are the cowboys who herd polluted votes and corrupted voters in the neighborhood and lead them to the precincts in the same neighborhood. They get away with it because those who should know better in the same neighborhood don't give a hoot or head them off. There's no transparency or accountability in this primary government unit unless the people are attentive. There's no separation of powers. Only the Assembly can hold them accountable. Democracy, which is inclusive and kind of messy because you have to say hello to these folks if you want them to listen to good sense, is losing out to oligarchy. No sir, we don't want Fidel Ramos or Lee Kuan Yew or Jesus. We just want the elitists democratized so the oligarchs can't have their way. More power to Tony Abaya, but please let sleeping dogs lie. It's nice to hear Alex Lichauco but frankly we'd rather not give the likes of Boy Saycon and Fortunato Abat get funny ideas like giving Linda Montayre the role of Joan of Arc. Manny Valdehuesa, [email protected] January 30, 2004 MY REPLY. Hello, Manny, and thank you for your inputs. You are correct. No one, not only the so-called elite, has bothered much about life at the barangay level. The last national leader to do that was probably Ferdinand Marcos, but he prostituted the barangays to his agenda for perpetuating himself and his family in power. Certainly you and your group, if you have a group, should raise that issue with the current presidential contenders and see who among them will pick it up. ������������������� Mr Abaya, I sounds good but I don't trust the implementation would succeed because of people being dishonest, I've never heard any candidate saying bad things for the people but after they get elected what they do are all bad and they only think good about themselves. I believe on as a leader you have to set as an example for the people but if they see you doing corruptions then, you expect them to follow which is happening there now, the government has no control because they themselves are corrupt. What I want to see is the sincerity to help people not to become wealthy. They should setup a network where you can see or read the personal profile and assets of a government official for the public, now if you don't want the public to know your private life then, don't run for public office. Hermogenes Ramos, Jr., [email protected] January 31, 2004 MY REPLY. I can understand your skepticism about any new provisional government, and I agree with you that leaders should set examples. That�s why in my proposal, I indicated that such a new government must be headed by someone whose integrity is beyond reproach, someone like Hilario Davide Jr or Jovito Salonga. I do not agree with the view that everyone is corrupt. If that were so, then we should just live with corruption and stop complaining about it OR emigrate to another country. As for a methodology for perusing the assets of government official, there already is, and it is known as the Statement of Assets and Liabilities or SAL, which every elected or appointed government official is required by law to file every year. Unfortunately it is not strictly enforced. And it should be on the Internet so that it can be accessed by anyone with a computer. ������������������ MMDA Stupidity at Magallanes EDSA Mr. Abaya, You're the traffic expert, hopefully you know the right people to get the message through to this numbskull BF that his experiment at Magallanes is stupid and dangerous. I'm sure since you live in Merville you've experienced it yourself. The experiment at the foot of the EDSA Magallanes interchange is the latest and dumbest of the harebrained schemes from BF. Not only has it caused a significant increase in traffic since being implemented, it also increases the chances of major accidents happening. With the new scheme, private vehicles, which make up a significant part of the volume going up the two lane ramp towards South Super Highway, are limited to one lane from the Pasay Road downramp, while two lanes are allocated for the buses. At Mantrade, the two lanes for buses become reallocated: one lane for buses and one lane for taxi loading. Not only is the taxi lane too narrow for safe entry to a taxi, it encourages people to cross the bus lane and board a taxi in the middle of EDSA! This is the absolute height of stupidity and arrogance combined! Since constricting the flow of private vehicles towards South Super Highway to one lane, traffic on that stretch of EDSA has worsened dramatically, backing up well past the tunnel entrance after Buendia. Not only does this waste people's time in traffic, it has created a disaster waiting to happen, either from vehicles ramming the steel structures, or from taxi passengers getting sideswiped or run over. Someone should sue Fernando for incompetence and reckless endangerment! cheers, Tonton Mapa, [email protected] January 28, 2004 MY REPLY. This traffic expert hung up his whistle and batuta long ago. The bureaucrats do not want to be told what to do, even if they do not know what to do. I agree with everything you wrote about the EDSA Magallanes manufactured bottleneck. But the most I can do right now is to hand your complaint to BF (who is a family friend) with my endorsement and hope that he sees the light. There is no use for me to write about it in this space as he does not surf the web and probably does not even own a computer. ������������������.. On �FPJ, Huwag Magpagamit� Tony, Doing a little back reading, I read again your December 31 article. On December 31 there was that possibility: FPJ would eschew tradpols. Today. Look at his senatorial selection: Enrile, Tatad, Padilla, Dilanggalen (!), Jinggoy and Ernie. Haven't we seen those names somewhere before? Add to that his TOTAL inexperience and god help us if he's legitimate. I weep Peter Wallace, [email protected] January 24, 2004 MY REPLY. And add to that, his total ignorance of almost everything related to governance or economics. I weep with you. I am clinging to the hope that he will keep his distance from the trapos by not campaigning for them, as he had earlier stated. It is very hard to be optimistic about this country. ������������������ On �The Orgy of the Trapos� What is needed are primaries In a message dated 1/9/04 11:29:43 AM, [email protected] writes: It is a concoction of several social and historical influences: an American-style electoral process that requires so much money to take part in that candidates look on public office as a business investment, to be recovered many times over once the office is won, the system�s built-in corruption DNA; a bad copy of the American two-party system in which personalities, not programs of government, predominate, thus making it easy for trapos to change parties as often as they change their underwear, and just as blithely; A bad copy is right because there are three crucial parts of the American system that the Philippines did not import, and if it does adopt these three parts, there will be less money required to start a run for office, less influence by insiders, less party switching, and more emphasis on platforms and policy, without the corrupting influence of excessive party discipline mandated by many systems. The first, federalism, is a broad topic and one that I will leave for later. The other two parts are the primary/caucus system and the corresponding conventions -- local, state and national. The first vote in the 2004 U.S. presidential system just occurred in the state of Iowa, the Iowa Caucuses. Here 100,000 Iowans gathered to choose who will be the Democratic Party's nominee in Nov. of 2004 to run against George W. Bush. That night, Monday night, they elected delegates who will eventually choose delegates for the Democratic National Convention to be held in July. Then 4,000 delegates will gather, directly representing the votes of millions, and choose the Democratic nominee. Compare this to the debate between Lacson and Poe and their supporters about who is the LDP's standard bearer. How many people were involved? How many people got to vote and choose? 10? 20? Certainly not 100. And even then, there was no clear decision. They had to go to government bureaucrats to decide the issue. How much of a threat to democracy is that -- government bureaucrats deciding, in part, who is to be their boss, to look into their corruption? In Iowa, 20% of the 100,000 caucus-goers met the person they were voting for. How long would Poe survive facing dedicated, informed, opinionated voters, answering detailed questions, in groups of 25 in people's living rooms? It is a grueling, humbling process, meeting average voters in their homes, and if you do not know where you stand on free trade and corn subsidies, you will not survive. The process is repeated in New Hampshire for their primary where 70% of the state's Democrats will vote next week, many saying that they will not vote for a candidate they have not met. For months, in the Philippines, candidates for president have been attending cocktail parties, wooing insiders with promises of jobs and paybacks, trying to get people to switch sides, and some times succeeding. In the Philippines, you must be a national political insider to run for office. In the US, no sitting congressman or Senator has been elected president since 1960. Virtually every president has come from outside of Washington, often from the Governor's office. Besides being non-insiders, primary voters are more interested in policy proposals and a candidate's honesty and commitment to carry out those proposals. Therefore candidates have to come up with detailed policy proposals to distinguish themselves from other candidates and to win votes. Candidates who are Democrats and switch to Republicans are not warmly received by dedicated Republican primary-voters or caucus-goers, though some switchers are received, if the switches come across as sincere and policy-based (see Ronald Reagan and Hilary Clinton). Further, to run for president in the US does not take much money at the beginning. The early Democratic front-runner was former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, a small state and initially an even smaller campaign. But he began back in 2002 running, meeting voters, wooing them one-on-one, which does not take a lot of money, and he began to get support, and the money rolled it. Yes, it take money to win a campaign. That will always be the case. But how much money does it take to START the campaign? That is the real question. Do you need millions in the bank to START a presidential campaign? Yes, in the Philippines. No in the US, just ask Howard Dean, or John McCain, or Jimmy Carter, and it's thanks to the system of primaries and caucuses. Is the primary/caucus system perfect? No. The insiders have played with the process over the years, making it harder for outsiders to run. A Jimmy Carter campaign could not be run now. But it is a better system than having party candidates chosen by a small committee of interested and possibly corrupt outsiders. The US adopted the primaries beginning in 1903, state-by-state, as a Progressive reform to combat political machines, hopefully put an end to them and the resulting corruption. To a large extend it worked, and made the US one of the countries where the values of the average voter, the grassroots is most heard. Regards, Bruce Hall, [email protected] Iloilo City, January 22, 2004 MY REPLY. �Less money required to start a run for office, less influence by insiders, etc� if the US primary system were adopted in the Philippines? You�ve got to be kidding. Part of the revelation that has come out of the coverage of the current primaries is that Howard Dean raised $41 million, John Kerry $28.5 million, just for the primaries. And they are not yet even directly competing for the White House. There has to be a better model. �����������������. Dear Tony, I like your article because I believe that our present political system needs to be changed. And I do not mean changing to a parliamentary form of government either. Your provisional govt sounds good because I'm desperate about our future. However, I am not qualified to say whether this would work or not since politics and government are not my field of expertise. Have you shown this to Justice Davide and Salonga? Maybe a think tank should study it and see if it would work. I hope they say it would!!! I also support your idea on two ways to cut down on expenses for the candidates. I'm so against the environmental degradation caused by campaign materials and have been wondering how to make the candidates comply with the law. Quite frankly, though it's not politically correct, I think only tax payers (and people who had paid taxes when they were employed) should be allowed to vote. People who don't share in supporting the government and the country shouldn't be allowed to choose government officials. There, I got it off my chest! Is there a group of people who could study your proposal, and if it would work, then the rest of us can vote for it, or something? Keep writing and planting seeds. But I'd like to test this proposal too! Lolita Delgado Fansler, [email protected] February 02, 2004 ���������������.. wing up my previous email on the enclosed article you wrote on Jan. 28, 2004 - Provisional Government. As I mentioned earlier, I do not agree with some of the ideas and your analyses of root causes of the political, military, and religious problems of the country. But I do believe, your article is an excellent first step in approaching meaningful social problem-solving in the Philippines. I decided to ride on your take of the issues. I do share your vision and goals for an improved Pilipino society. However, I do not agree with the direction that you are taking. With regard to the much bruited threats of "destabilization" against GMA, I can tell you just about as many anecdotal accounts, that would have about the same if not higher degree of credibility...with specific dates, names, occasions of people actually gathering together and discussing all kinds of "multi-sectoral reform movements"...which all have one thing in common - STOP GMA FROM GETTING ELECTED IN 2004. Let's call it what it is. I am not a supporter of GMA. I find many terrible things about her administration; too many questionable practices in her style of management, too many basic flaws in recruiting, training and appointing people to sensitive positions and relieving them...and her appalling lack of persuasive abilities and skills....is not helping her administration or the Pilipino people, move on, and get ahead of their lives. So, we have a chance to change all that in May 10, 2004. WE CAN ELECT A DIFFERENT PRESIDENT. My question is WHO? And I do believe, that for the most part, the majority of the voting population actually are debating this issue on their own. IF NOT GMA, THEN WHO? And the answer, the acceptable one - IS NOT....LET US CHANGE THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT! Political independence came on July 4, 1946 (although our first election during the Third Republic of the Philippines was on April 23, 1946). Nevertheless, we have had some 57 years of experience with the form of government that we now have. THE FAULT IS NOT IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IN THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PUT IN POSITION TO RUN THE BUREACRACY. That in itself suggests quite clearly WHAT AND WHERE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM LIES....IT IS IN THE ELECTION PROCESS....So, let us reform and improve the election process. Let us try to have an honest one. And that, starts with DISSEMINATING CORRECT, UNADULTERATED, UNMOTIVATED, INFORMATION AND FACTS.....And who are the people responsible for this? I will allow you ONE (correct) GUESS. Now, who is going to POLICE THE RANKS, of THE INFORMERS, and make sure that they stick to the facts, report the facts....and only the facts.???? If it is a fact...pound on the facts. If it is not....then say it is only AN OPINION....and be clear and honest about the admission. If it is a story, an anecdote, based on "chism"...say so....the greatest crime in the Pilipino society is not the graft and corruption that media writes about other people (politicians, mostly).....but the fact the media itself has been corrupted in the practice of its own professional trade. That is why, although people buy the newspapers, it does not necessarily mean that they believe the news. And when it comes to opinion-making, why, that's a no-brainer. Everybody has an opinion. Just like an asshole...everybody has one, without exception, yours truly including. Pepeton J�anton, [email protected] February 02, 2004 MY REPLY. I couldn�t agree with you more. If you will reread the article, I did not advocate a change in the form of government. That is best left to an elected constitutional convention. What I advocated was a change in the election process: reduce the cost of running for office, have qualifying exams for all candidates, dismantle political dynasties, discourage party-switching by penalizing it, neutralize the unfair advantage of showbiz fornicators and other celebs over other candidates. But this would be possible only under a provisional government since the trapos in power (as well as some of those who aren�t) would resist most such changes. And yet, if you read some of the objections raised by some people (below), you would think I was advocating a pure Islamic state. ������������������. (Through the pilipinasforum egroup) Hello Mr. Abaya, Me thinks these are just provisional ideas of yours. If we follow your logic, then the Erap loyalists will insist that the head of the Provisional government should be Erap or FPJ or Jinggoy Estrada. Then the coup plotters and their civilian supporters will insist that the head of the Provisional government should be Gringo Honasan or Ping Lacson or Captain Trillanes or other PMA mistah. Then the Roco loyalists will insist that the head of the Provisional government should be Roco or Lito Osmena or Renato de Villa. Then the Jesus is Lord and other religious groups will insist that the head of the Provisional Government should be Brother Eddie V. or Brother Mike V. or other high profile brothers.The Gloria loyalists will insist that the head of such government should be GMA or Mike Arroyo or Kabayan boylino. Then the losing groups will demand a "real revolutionary government" to install their manok or kandidato.Then you have a new round of chaos.Which defeats your purpose of having peace through a Provisional government. Not only will various groups quarrel about the head of the Provisional government. They will also quarrel about the members of that government. The KMU and Bayan Muna will complain why the PCCI and ECOP people are there. Sanlakas might complain why Bayan Muna people are there and no reps from them. Iglesia people or other religious groups might complain why there are lots of Catholic church people but not one from them. And so on and so forth, the quarrel never stops. And the "mandate" of the Provisional government is to rewrite the rules of elections, dismantle political dynasties, disqualify the unfit, etc. -- eh, they may rewrite and amend the Constitution as well. Are you that desperate? I am not. Many people are not. Let's go ahead with the elections in May 2004. There'll be balance of terror among candidates, so massive cheating will be minimized although not totally eradicated. Finally, please post your reply in whatever egroups where members have commented and contradicted your ideas, and not the usual "Thank you, I will respond to your comment at tapatt.org". Not desperately yours, Nonoy Oplas, [email protected] February 02, 2004 ���������������.. (Through the pilipinasforum egroup) I desperately support Nonoy here, because, i have huge doubts about Mr. Abaya's idea of a provisional government. The first time i read about this was when Mr. Abaya suggested that CJ Davide should be made head of the provisional government, during the time of the Davide impeachment efforts of some quarters. I do not blame anyone who has a knack for believing in magic. I like David Blaine, much as i know that it is all "staged" on TV. But for magic to actually be brought in the arena of governance, politics and society, is just plain too dumb. First of all, where will the mandate come from? Democracy is hinged on populism, that's is why democracies survive political storms. The anchor that is the people will stay it during squalls. A provisional government will get its mandate from where, or from whom? What wil make it stable when it gets attacked, for instance by military adventurists? The armed forces have their allegiance to the constitution. How will the AFP then support, serve andprotect a provisional leadership? Now even if i get satifactory answers to the above, which i greatly doubt there would be, still the remaining issue is whether a provisional government will have a good grasp of the real issues. What we have is not just an issue of politics and justice. Joeyses just when through the rigours of the boom-bust cycle apropos Nonoy's attempt to connect business cycles with budget deficits using the gap model. Will the likes of CJ Davide have the right understanding of how international economics work? We can argue to death about this, as claims and counterclaims can be put forward. But in the end, the head of the provisional government will end up consulting those who apparently know. And if by chance he/she consults someone with biased political and family business inclinations, then economic decisions will be likely taken based on ill advise. Oh i hate giving a damper to a writer's imagination. Afte rall, writers still do set free my worrier mind at times. But these days i am inclined to train my guns on ideas that have no wings. Just kidding. I am only at best inclined to support Nonoy in these desperate days of the Avian flu threatening to end my regularvisit to KFC. Shall I go to tapatt.org now, Nonoy? Are you kidding my leg? =) Rodolfo Azanza, [email protected] February 02, 2004 ���������������.. (Through the pilipinasforum egroup) Dear Mr. Abaya: After reading your post, I am like the song "bewithched, bothered & bewildered"... The prose of your post is vintage Abaya. Long, winded and totally lacking in depth. Consider that an understatement, Se�or. Allow me to illustrate: Witness your statements: "For my part, when I was interviewed by Yvette Novenario last Saturday Jan. 24 on ANC's 7 O'Clock News, I proposed the formation of a provisional government, to be headed by a respected elder statesman like Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.or former Senate President Jovito Salonga, and to include in its governing council the major presidential (FPJ, Roco, Lacson) and vice-presidential (Legarda, Aquino) contenders. President Arroyo should be excluded to erase any suspicion that the provisional government is a mere ruse to extend her stay in power. The governing council should also include prominent non-trapo members from various sectors such as the business community, the labor unions, the communist movement, the Bangsa Moro, civil society, the Churches and the mainstream military and police." Ahhh, what a fine kettle of fish you wish to simmer to rid us of as you say, "the execrable and the abominable". But why stop there Se�or? Why not invite also the abu sayaff, Ecleo & his cult, the drug lords, smugglers and the cast of Eat Bulaga and the Bubble Gang for good measure? That would be truly democratic wouldn't it? Assuming of course that ALL these "level-headed" people agree to your preposterous suggestion to be part of this governing council. A little presumptuous, don't you think? Then, you might also want to think of the even larger population called People of the Philippines. Do you think every Juan, Juanita, Kulas & Kulasa will agree to the establishment of the same? Much more presumptuous, don't you think? We are in the rut we are now because we presume too much. You presume that anything extra-constitutional is the key to rising from the ashes like the proverbial phoenix. What's makes you any different then from Gringo Honasan's extra-constitutional activities which you conveniently deride? Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Last I heard, we have a working constitution and a working government which you again conveniently dismiss as a disgusting charade. It is far from perfect, but working nonetheless and i'll take it anyday & twice on Sunday, warts & all. Democracy is indeed weird but I won't take it any other way. Maybe if you had a better idea, I just might listen and probably support you. You have a nice day Se�or. Sam Aherrera, [email protected] February 02, 2004-02-08 ������������.. (Through the pilipinasforum egroup) Sam Aherrera, Rodolfo Azanza, Nonoy Oplas:, and others who join this exchange: MY REPLY. Where were you from February 1986 to September 1987 when Mrs. Cory Aquino formed and headed a provisional government that ruled by decree? Assuming you were adults then, did you also protest that we had a working constitution then that she had no right to abrogate? Did you also write sarcastic letters to the editors about who she might or might not appoint to her provisional government? Did you also assume a supercilious air and ask where she got her mandate from, she having lost the snap elections of February 7, according to the official Comelec count? Did you also look down your noses and question her grasp of international economics and "the real issues"? (During the campaign, the Marcos camp repeatedly used negative TV ads labeling her "Walang Alam!") Did you also demand guarantees that her provisional government will be stable? Did you go out and march in the streets calling for her to step down? Of course, you did not. You (or your elders and betters) accepted the Cory provisional government as a fait accompli, an acceptable solution to an otherwise potentially disastrous situation? Its survival became its reason for being. Or would you have preferred that Marcos passed on the baton to Imelda or Danding? Similarly, if and when a provisional (revolutionary, transitional) government takes over circa May 2004 - and I am not necessarily saying that it will - it may be accepted as a fait accompli, an acceptable solution, by most people who are fed up with the present political system. (Your reactions and my reply will appear in the website www.tapatt.org. In four or five months, one or some of us may be forced to eat his/their words. Let us wait and see who it will be.) ............................................................ |
 |
 |
| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Dear Kuya Tony, Hi there kuya, I hope you've been alright inspite of all the bickering of politicians there. I can't help but admire the vision that you have regarding a "Provisional Government" I request that you read the articles of Mr. Bobby Reyes who also resides here in LA about establishing an alternative government and leadership in the Philippines. It coincides with your intent to hone a "New Era" in Philippine government, leadership and politics. It surely transcends into a more productive form of livelihood among Filipinos once it becomes a reality. I challenged him to form a committee to preside over the potential of such a concept wherein Overseas Filipinos will fund a political party and create a new breed of leaders in the Philippines. It's just like a "Third Force" in a multi-partisan system. I know that it's wishful thinking to accomplish such a meteoric goal but someone has to initiate something, and I really appreciate people like you and Mr. Reyes ! who have a heart of an authentic nationalist or patriot. I request your opinion about this proposed "Philippine Shadow Government" or I prefer to call it Philippine Reform Government. As the word "shadow" connotes something sinister or non-transparency. Now, all Filipinos had enough of those don't they? I told Mr. Reyes that I am willing to devote my time and effort in this proposition if heaven permits there is light through the tunnel. We all just have to keep on trying and have all our hopes intact. Being a descendant of a Philippine hero, Gen. Gregorio Sempio del Pilar, I can't help but ponder that the struggles of those historical figures for freedom and independence were ever justified. We are in the millennium and where is the Phillipines now? Still in the clasps not of foreign oppressors but by our own Filipino brethren who are power hungry, public fund-sucking leeches of society, the TRAPOS and political dynasties. At this point we could only dream that some day our mother land would be a distinguished part of the globe. Please read on www.pinoyonboard.com Articles of Bobby Reyes titled "REINVENTING THE SHADOW GOVERNMENT" and "REINVENTING THE LEADERSHIP IN THE PHILIPPINES" Please also read his columns in the past. Until here, gotta email off now sir...Enjoy the rest of the week. God bles you and family. More power to you and keep informing the people about the "Truth" I encourage the youth to read your columns to enhance their Love for our country. They are the future leaders, their young minds shouldn't be exposed to the TRAPO mentality. There is still hope. Truly, Bong L. Sempio, [email protected] February 05, 2004 �������������. Much obliged, Tony. BTW, this "second reaction" is actually a motley summary of 12 different responses I got from my associates and friends. That is why you will probably detect some "pushing and pulling" in these comments. Next time, I will be more specific. Suffice it to say, at this point, there is about 60-40 support for some kind of "provisional government" along similar lines that you have outlined, with the 40% openly admitting they are "hawks of the RIGHT kind". Tony, what is your take on the recent - "Loren-Joma -Saycon versus Corpus" incident, some of my associates are really curious to find out. Specifically, We would like to see you write THE REAL SCORE about Saycon and his poliltical-military finnagling-interference-intervention, so that we can have an intelligent framework of reference about this individual. Power on, Tony. Pepeton J�anton, [email protected] February 08, 2004 MY REPLY. If you really want my opinion, the recent �Loren-Joma-Saycon versus Corpus� incident, as you put it, is not worth a fiddler�s fart. ����������������� Dear Mr Abaya, To make sure you will not miss it the article of Ben Lim is here in http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?section=OPINION&oid=44448. If ever credit is to be given for the FPJ walk into the presidency, it is to media. Media generated those storms. It is regrettable that your proposed Provisional Government may not see the light of the day. It could bring about restructuring of the government and new culture for our people. In my view, the over all goal of that Provisional Government is acculturizing our people. Let us recognize that the prevailing culture we find in the government is a product of the culture of the people that elected those leaders. Without a new culture it is only a matter of time for the kind of government and politics we are currently having to come back. Your proposed Provisional Government is expected to encounter resistance with the magnitude of an IMMOVABLE FORCE. And for an immovable force one needs an IRRESISTIBLE FORCE. Somehow, SOMEBODY has to generate that irresistible force. Meantime while the IRRESISTIBLE FORCE gathers the required strength yet, what could we have? Perhaps media can generate the interim momentum. The above article of Ben Lim emphasize what media can do. The problem however is that MEDIA seems to have no vision relative to the kind of culture that should be promoted among our people. Media appears to recognize only principle of THE PEOPLE HAS THE RIGHT TO KNOW. Media does not feel responsible for the effect of their news on the people. Letty Magsanoc in February 2, 2004 issue of PDI raised this point. Let us hope that within the media community a resolution will be forthcoming. Jorge Matanguihan, [email protected] February 11, 2004 MY REPLY. It is premature to say that my proposed provisional government �may not see the light of day.� Right now, there is no need or clamor for such a government. But we face so many problems that we cannot predict what will happen two or three months from now. We may see a default on our foreign debt and/or the continued slide of the peso; a political assassination and/or a revolt of the masses; or an escalation of the Maoist insurgency and/or the Muslim secessionist war, to take advantage of a deteriorating social and economic climate. In such a situation, your immovable object may crumble before an irresistible force. ���������������. Dear Mr. Abaya: Calls to postpone the 2004 elections and instead establish some kind of a transition government that would hopefully revise our current political system are indeed reflective of how disillusioned have we become. Some appear to have become impatient by asking the apolitical AFP to stage a military takeover until we can no longer see spots in our sullied polity. Unlike the renegades in the Oakwood mutiny, these groups are sane enough to have known the constitutionality of their moves. In an environment of political hullabaloo, have we not become too anesthetized by the sound and sight of dirty politics: what we see on TV; what we hear on radio waves; what we digest in the texts of our bland broadsheets? Perhaps our little Honasans have become too numb that their rationality fell prey to our ghoulish politicians. What's next after Kawal? Among the alternatives laid out, it is your proposal that appears more propitious. Views made by Tony Abaya have always left me brooding. I don't know, however, why you excluded Noli de Castro in the council but I suspect because of your seeming prejudice against "illiterate and dumb politicians". Of course, FPJ is another case; with his multitude of supporters, it's hard to exclude him. The mandate of your proposal is excellent, but surely it will entail a lot of sacrifices. Best regards, ANGEL ALEGRE, [email protected] February 11, 2004 MY REPLY. I felt only the presidential candidates (minus GMA and Eddie Gil) should be part of the governing council of the proposed provisional government, as we should make room, largely, for prominent non-trapo civilians. GMA can be included in an advisory council with Cory Aquino and Fidel Ramos, and several retried Supreme Court justices. But these are, of course, the opinions of only one person. If and when it comes, the provisional government will have its own dynamics that would be hard to predict at this time. .............................................. hi! may i know who is the spokesman of the party list group that revealed honasan's plan. My question pertains to the piece you wrote on the formation of a provisional government. I am intrigued by this. Thank you and been reading your pieces with great interest! Ces Drilon, [email protected] February 12, 2004 MY REPLY. Let me quote the banner story in Today (Jan. 28): �Failed coup plotter and now Sen. Gregorio Honasan has been tagged in an alleged plot to assassinate presidential candidates Fernando Poe Jr. and Raul Roco to create a scenario of confusion and chaos and eventually set up a civilian-military junta�..Honasan�s accuser, Ramon Carlos Garcia, spokesmen for the Kapulungan ng mga Sandigan ng Pilipinas, or KASAPI, said an AWOL military personnel and intelligence operative managed to infiltrate the group of Honasan when it held a meeting in Santa Cruz, Laguna, Friday last week, where the alleged plot was hatched�..� Honasan has denied the allegation. ��������������.. thanks, i want to follow up on this story. But also am concerned about talks I've been hearing that even the U-S Embassy and the business community are open to backing a military junta if they can find an ala "Musharaff" guy in the military. That's not Gringo, of course, but is there someone like that who exists in the military establishment? What are your thoughts? ces MY REPLY. (Private) ��������������� Rewriting the rules of engagement in our electoral system is like a moonshot which is easier said than done. Like a malignant cancer where every parts are sensitive and risky to extract. As long as Gringo is around, he will never rest. The guy is very persistent and motivated whoever is in power. Assigning a Governing Council may work if there is a (powerful) guardian watching over their shoulder and protecting the transformation to a better system. Nonoy Ramos, [email protected] February 13, 2004 MY REPLY. I agree with you that a �(powerful) guardian must watch over their shoulder and protect the transformation to a better system.� That is why I wrote that the provisional government must be supported by the mainstream (not rogue) military. For a continuation of this exchange, click "Close Encounters with the Immortal Kind" OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |