The World is Noisy and Messy

Written on Sunday, May 4th, 2008 at 6:50 am | by cocoy

“What the frak?!” Sixteen Senators of the Republic have set the stage towards Federalism. Is this a political maneuver by the Opposition to finally engage Arroyo’s camp, pro-actively?

For many years, I must admit, the romantic notion of decentralizing the power structures of our government and raising to a greater degree, an empowerment of local government to be most appealing. The basic thought in my line of reasoning was that all politics is local and our people’s identity is already rooted on regional identity. For example, we are actually proud to be from Ilocos, Batangas, or Cebu or Manila or Davao. From a cultural standpoint, raising this to the realm of politics empowers people to choose their own provincial fate. Moreover, the idea, even the mere opportunity of unshackling the politics of being beholden to the powers that be in Manila and letting each region chart their own destiny is appealing, on paper.

I read Benign0’s The Philippines Inconvenient Truth where he wrote: “I maintain — consistent to my usual simplistic take on Pinoy society — that the key to Pinoy collective prosperity does not lie in politics, political structures, and certainly not in politicians themselves.” On that point I agree. There is truth in these words that I think, many Filipinos, so frustrated with the politics of our leadership have adapted. Doing things on their own is just natural. They start their businesses, their lives. They have families and remain while doing so, agnostic to the politics of the day. They go outside the Philippines and make lives of their own and even some, choose to build their lives at home. In short, they create their own futures. In simple terms, this is what we ought to be doing in our private lives ourselves. I totally agree that this is something we must engage in.

MLQ3 got it right though when he said in “Senate Swindled?” that “There was no public clamor for it, no public campaign for it, and thus, no basis for arguing a public consensus has emerged demanding it. And yet the Senate seems to have decided to go all-out for federalism.” Though I think this is more because, most of us are rather apathetic to the moves of our government. More importantly, I also think that this is a symptom of a public largely disinterested in matters of politics and any intelligent discourse not just of politics but everything in general. Except maybe, what’s hot in show business.

And on that point, we must ask ourselves exactly, why must we go through this whole charter change business?

I do not doubt that there are somethings we could change or amend in the present constitution but is it absolutely germane to grow this country?

Is there no other way to guarantee that every Province in this country gets its fair share of revenue?

Is there no other way to stimulate a participation of the public in politics to a greater degree like in forming of parties and organization, precisely to take power, not by desire, but by right?

At a time when the greater priority is to grow the economy, at a time when the challenges of tomorrow like food security, like education and so many other challenges, matter more, which is more germane to the Filipino? And yet here we are, we must once more burden ourselves that the sole reason to engage in this debate about Federalism is to block Arroyo’s bid for extending her rule and/or her influence.

Guess, so much for Of Food and Men, and on the same topic, as The Explainer pointed out in Rice-o-Rama, “No quick fix to soothe Asia’s rice shortage fears.” All relegated to the back room as we face this question on Charter Change.

In October of 2007, DJB had a post on “If Erap’s pardon is Constitutional, Resignation becomes a Loophole and Mockery of the Law. I had asked the question of whether or not rewriting the Constitution would be better to patch things up. DJB wrote a reply that I find to be most appropriate:

“Writing a Constitution” I consider to be the historic and moral equivalent of giving birth to a nation. I guess I am viscerally against giving birth to ourselves a fifth or more times.

I subscribe to the general view that it does not serve justice as fairness to be too often changing “the basic Law of the Land”. It’s like rearranging the periodic table for no good reason.

Not rewriting but rereading. Redaction?”

Setting aside the romantic notion of Charter Change and the benefits of Federalism, I find DJB’s argument to be sound. Yes, there are many other things we need to do. Yes, there are many other challenges we must face. And yes, within our existing framework, common wisdom tells us that we can face the future properly, right now without charter change.

Yet, instead of facing those challenges we must be vigilant in preventing Arroyo and her ilk to simply just walk in and continue to govern the way they do, with interest in only preserving their status quo and not the good of us all. We must dance to the tune of those who would manipulate the system once more. In other words, we must prattle. Still, when sixteen Senators of the Republic chose to use and to engage the Palace by preempting and changing the tone and controlling the conversation to at least something, a degree more than just preserving self-interest, it at least gives some semblance of hope that they’ve got balls. It isn’t much, mind you. It doesn’t change the dynamics of the game by a whole lot or hardly at all. At best, it is fighting a holding action against the night.

You know what? What the frak: if there should be 11 states, give two senators per state. That’s 22 senators and then have the Vice President be the tie breaker. More than the existing number of senators, is going to be another carnival like the House. Too many cooks, see? If it is too much to ask, and since the whole thing is being considered, could you also include provisions in the Charter that highlight <i>our people’s</i> responsibility to the country, and not just our rights?

Our politics also reminds us that though most of us would prefer to simply control just our collective prosperity and ignore the insanities of our government that sadly, is the surest way to ensure that the same old politics which we all abhort continue unabated. It is also the surest and safest path to letting those who would use Power for their own sake and for its own sake to win the day. If it is unavoidable and the only thing preventing our democracy to be perverted by those who would shape it for their own ends, then we must engage Charter Change proactively.

And though I agree that it is most unwise to do so, perhaps it is inevitable that we must succumb to 50 more rebirths to get it right. Maybe if we just get it on, have charter change now, we won’t have to revisit this issue ever couple of months. Put in all the changes that have to be made. Federalism? you know i have no issue against it. As many others have pointed out, it’s not the form, but people. In this case, if it is Arroyo and her ilk calling for Charter Change then that road is most dangerous. Let’s just get it on. Go do charter change once and for all and make sure this issue isn’t revisited for another 50 years or so. And just maybe we can actually do something, instead of prattling around.

My point being that while we need to control our Collective Prosperity on one hand, and on the other, Good People, Good Filipinos must engage the political theater through Power, Not by Desire, but by Right. After all, The world is noisy and messy: we can not afford to withdraw from our democracy anymore than we can afford to withdraw from life. That, more than Charter Change is a transformation of the Filipino, one who is engaged in the world. It is a renewed, rebirth kind of People Power. Put it another way, we must be active in our democracy, less we get the government we deserve, would you believe, it is the one we have right now?

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About The Author: cocoy is a twenty-something neoliberal, Linux & Mac user, technology geek who enjoys a good cup of Coffee and who believes in New Media. He hangs out on twitter as @cocoy and blogs at Big Mango.

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One Response to “The World is Noisy and Messy”

  1. Amper on May 24th, 2008 10:04 am

    “Is there no other way to guarantee that every Province in this country gets its fair share of revenue?”

    To achieve this, we have to federalize. Take a look at this, Manila and South Luzon gets billions of pesos for rehabilitation of this and that but their Tagalog kins in Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Bulacan can’t get a few millions to put up an irrigation system which is more urgent that beautifying high ways going to the metro since Central Luzon lack an extensive natural irrigation system.

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