Shadows Behind Veiled Interests

by Jean Heracleo Suarez III

The current issue on the proposed revision of the 1987 Philippine constitution has worked its way to the headlines and stirred a hornets’ nest within the legislative body of the government. This course of action has positioned itself in the limelight of controversy, particularly with the proposition of changing the political structure of the government from presidential to the parliamentary form.

Indeed, no perfect constitution has ever been created to govern a state, nation or republic. But in the first place, we have never aspired for a perfect government since such a thing does not exist, just a kind of government that is not ridden with graft, corruption, and baby-kissing, self-indulgent, traditional politicians, a kind of government that truly places the interest of the people first.

Nothing much really.

Truly, this occurrence has raised many questions from different personalities and sectors after it was overtly promoted like a shampoo commercial or perhaps like the latest model of nokia phones. There are those who question the practicality of the revision, the motives for doing such and so on. But perhaps a fundamental question that we should be asking right now is whether this charter change will really solve the basic problems that beset the people of this nation or not. Will it answer the people’s clamor for genuine agrarian reform? Will it prioritize national development free from foreign control? Will it provide for the basic social services that the people have been deprived of through shameless privatization schemes?

Moreover, one can only wonder why all of a sudden, this issue popped up like a mischievous jack-in-the-box as the 2004 elections coincidentally looms near. Have the expressed intentions of our dear public servants served only to veil the shadows that lurk behind, which do not truly promote the common interest of the masses but their own?

Let us see.

Selling the drama

Our current constitution was ratified in 1987, shortly after the EDSA uprising, which heaved Former President Corazon Aquino to power and put an end to the dictatorial regime of the late Ferdinand Marcos. It substantially limits the power of the president and, at least in theory, protects the citizenry from the tyrannical abuses arising from misuse of political office apparently experienced during the Marcos dictatorship. Furthermore, the current constitution supposedly ensures the sense of balance and the stability of the three departments namely: the executive, the legislative and the judicial. This is to avoid further single-handed manipulation by one of the three departments of our government.

With every president who assumed office after President Aquino pushing for charter change, a conspiracy theory comes to mind. What if the consitutional “correction” (as aptly dubbed by ousted president Joseph Estrada) is in fact just another political maneuver by ambitious politicos to retain power and ensure the consistent inflow of the nation’s wealth into their already lipid-injected bank accounts? If service is already an obsolete term in the traditional politicians’ vocabulary, what then could the people truly hope for with this anticipated charter change?

Recently, after Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's dramatic address to the people about her decision not to run for the highest position in the land, rumors spread that former President Fidel V. Ramos will again run for president under the Lakas-NUCD party. This is according to the reports from the Inquirer News Service.

Now, the debate rages: Can Ramos run for President?

According to Article VII, Sec. 4 of our present constitution: The President shall not be eligible for any reelection. No person who has succeeded as President and has serve as such for more than four years shall be qualified for election to the same office at any time.

However, senate President Franklin Drilon said, “There are two schools of thought about the discussed matter. One school of thought says that, after serving one term, a person is perpetually disqualified from running again for the position of the President. The other school of thought says that as long as there is a gap in the term, meaning that after serving one full term and the president allows one term to expire, he or she, then, can run for reelection”. Drilon further added that it was ultimately up to the Supreme Court to rule on whether Ramos, who was the President in 1992-98, could be allowed to run anew as Lakas standard-bearer.

But amidst all this hearsay, we can divert our attention back to the drama queen for all seasons: Ate Glo.

Even now, many are still critical of her so-called ultimate, divinely enlightened, sacrifice. Filipinos have long grown tired of all the brouhaha going on in the political arena, and are not about to be labeled gullible to the wiles of presidential wannabes. We are a people historically tried and tested, and it would take more than honey-dipped words and blinding Close-Up smiles to fool us again. But even if we give GMA the benefit of the doubt (oh, yes, and there is much doubt), what will her messianic act accomplish? She still continues to advocate the brazen liberalization-privatization-deregulation (LAPIDA) schemes upheld by previous administrations. She has further offered open arms to US military intrusion and blindly followed the dictates of her beloved US President George W. Bush. The intensification of militarization in the countrysides has left many children orphaned, wives widowed, and towns uninhabited.

She can go on selling her drama, but the fact remains that the people are still suffering, and will suffer even more. And we are not that naïve to fall for the ridiculous self-sacrifice theme. This is the same scripted role traditional politicians have been playing for decades, and unless GMA proves herself, she is no exception.

Patriot games

Apparently, this unbecoming behavior of most government officials does not strike us as odd. With the twisted politics and priorities of the state, it is even expected of our public servants to play the same old games of deceit and manipulation all in the unholy name of “patriotism”. After all, when the economy remains in bondage of foreign powers and thus dwindling on the edge of collapse, power seekers are not about to become overnight philanthropists and fight for the cause of the oppressed and, in turn, skip the chance to eat out of silver platters. They’d rather become puppets of some higher power and help in plundering the nation’s wealth and consequentially have their share of the spoils. It’s no wonder why the Philippines continues to be in this pathetic state of stunted economic growth.

It would not surprise us now that the current proposition on charter change is but another game of political manipulation, with the welfare of the common masses far down the priority list. With the election fever heating up the nation’s politics, the plan for constitutional revision is darkly tainted by the devious machinations of the so-called defenders of democracy.

Verily, there is this one thing I am almost certain about. It is that, nowadays, considering the acts of these dominant traditional politicians, genuine service in public office is still a myth. Though their selfish agenda is covered up well, we can always see the shadows behind their veiled interests.

We must therefore be vigilant and cautious. We must be aware of the different issues that directly and indirectly affect our lives. We must have a critical mind in order for us to arrive at alternatives to the basic problems that have plagued our land. If we are certain about the inefficiency of our current constitution, is it because it does not truly address the needs of the people, or is it because it has not been truly upheld? For example, it is stated in Article XIV of the said constitution that education is a right and not a privilege. But in essence, that is only true on paper. Education continues to be commercialized especially with the ratification of the Education Act of 1982, which gives private educational institutions the right to increase tuition and other fees at whim. It is clear then, that as long as the government is not sincere in pushing for the people’s demands, no amount of verbal fistfights, modeling, and product promotions will guarantee a republic that is truly for the people, of the people and by the people, even if the constitution is changed, revised, turned upside down many times over.

When we take the time to ponder on the different social issues that face us and analyze them with a radical perspective deeply rooted in the cause of the oppressed masses, we can unveil the core of the troubles that afflict our country. Maybe then we all may realize that the foundation of these basic problems is the system, which is not readily cured by mere constitutional revisions.

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