The “daily grind” for many poor Filipinos. Photo:
fvdb.wordpress.com
s
we noted in our previous editorial (LINK), we believe political
dynasties have been holding the Philippines back, preventing it from
developing the way neighbors like Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea
have.
The
framers of the 1987 constitution included a provision that prohibited
political dynasties. However, their big mistake was they left it to
future legislatures to cobble together the enabling law that would allow
the provision to actually take effect.
Well, thirty years have now passed, and there is still no enabling law.
And one can easily understand why. How can anyone expect Filipino
senators and congressmen to pass such a law when they themselves belong
to political dynasties? It would be tantamount to shooting themselves in
the foot.
And
so the country’s progress has languished under the thumb of these
oligarchs--the 200 or so rich and powerful families that have run the
Philippines for generations.
Today however, an unprecedented opportunity presents itself. Finally,
Filipinos might now have the chance to bring that long-discarded
anti-dynasty provision to life.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s push for a shift to federalism will require
nothing short of a constitutional amendment. Thus a 20-person
Consultative Committee (Con-Com) has been created and tasked with
proposing the necessary changes or amendments to the constitution.
Former chief justice Renato Puno, who heads the Con-Com believes that a
prohibition against political dynasties should be a prerequisite to any
changes they will recommend.
Puno
believes that federalism by its very nature will only strengthen
political clans. And according to University of the Philippines Prof.
Rolando Simbulan, today 73 of the 81 provinces in the country, are
controlled by political clans. Puno therefore wants to see an
anti-dynasty law in place prior to the shift to federalism.
For
Filipinos who want to see political dynasties gone, now is the time to
act. They need to mobilize the masses and push hard to make it happen.
A
multi-media campaign should begin immediately with high-profile
endorsers taking to the airwaves and electronic media, extolling the
benefits of an end to political clans.
If
the movement can get the president, vice president, senators,
congressmen, governors, mayors, as well popular celebrities to speak out
on its behalf, the odds of success improve tremendously.
Let
us not forget what happened in 1987. Then president Corazon Aquino’s
tepid support got the provision to first base, where it languishes
today, three decades after it was created. Understandably, she belonged
to a very powerful political clan herself. And she was not about to kill
the goose that for generations had laid golden eggs for her family.
Filipinos who truly want to see this happen cannot simply remain seated
with their fingers crossed hoping that somehow Filipino politicians will
vote it into law.
There is no groundswell of support for an anti-dynasty law at this time.
That has to be created. Ordinary Filipinos have to be made to realize
that it is in their best interest to end political dynasties. It is also
in their children's best interest; as well as their country's best
interest.
Only
when a groundswell exists will politicians be forced to support it. At
that point, legislators will realize that not supporting the mass
movement will be the equivalent of political suicide.
So,
those who want to see an end to the power of the clans have their work
cut out for them. In six months the Con-Com will submit their
recommendations to the president who will then send it to congress to be
vote on. At that point, the clamor for an end to political dynasties
must be loud and forceful, with the majority of Filipinos demanding
change. Anything short of that and the country will likely see a repeat
of 1987 … and political dynasties remaining in control for the
foreseeable future.
Published
4/10/2018
|