Why is Philippine Democracy Not Solving Anything?

For years the Philippines has been enjoying a status of being a democratic nation. After the Marcos regime, people believed that democracy has come. People became more jubilant and hopeful to the promises of democracy. Flash forward to the present time, where are the results of those promises?
Our people until now, although they are great believers of democracy are not great believers of its tedious process. They only enjoy its fruits without joining the few that is fighting for it. They thought that after that successful People Power Revolution (which was repeated – yr. 2000) democracy has come and will work on its own, and of course with them as the beneficiaries.
Our professor in Public Administration during college told us that sometime in the 90s Mr. Lee Kuan Yew mentioned that we Filipinos should minimize our democracy. Intrigued by the story, I immediately “googled” it after our class, and found out the entire story and concluded in my mind a personal opinion on the matter.
Singapore then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew spoke to a mass of Filipino audience on a dinner mentioning that as a third world country, we Filipinos cannot afford to be a democratic nation. He added further that what our nation needs is more discipline and less democracy. And ironically his listeners applaud. The same people who were at EDSA during 1986 are the same people who are cheering on the idea that we must forget our democracy. Truly our government even back then is full of hypocrite individuals.
Mr. Lee probably forgot that Singapore is not the Philippines. Our cultures are different, what works on their system may not work on us. Mr. Lee probably forgot that we already experienced authoritarian ruling under the Marcoses, and we all know it was not as successful as his authoritarian government in fact, it’s a chaos. Applying it on our present time, imagine an unpopular PGMA ruling a Philippines under an authoritarian government, can you bear it?
In my personal opinion, the great leader Mr. Lee Kuan Yew is WRONG. His prescription belongs to another time and place, which goes not in accordance with the winds of change all-encompassing the face of the globe. It might work, as it appears to have worked until now, in a small country in size and population. But not in my beloved Pilipinas.
Democracy, not authoritarianism is the key to progress here in our nation. We also have a duty to assure our fellow citizens that we have not erred in choosing a democratic Constitution.
Why then our democracy is not working?
Our only error, which is prevailing in the government, the media, businesses, in the academe and in the marketplace, is that we tend to believe we already have the entirety of the democracy we believe in when all we have is its distorted version. We tend to run the Philippine government through the newspapers and decide what is good to the population on the basis of shocking news headlines and less than informed media, commentaries and educated predicaments.
We Filipinos value entertainment more than education. Our most popular role models are not the ones who are productive workers but those who are only a product of pinoy playful imagination.
Our error is that we elect men and women to high office expecting them to change the status quo when in fact they cannot even change themselves. We often hear them talk about their priority project for progress or their new movement to recover the moral tradition without them first accepting the teachings of morality and getting rid of their immoral attachments.
We Filipinos from every walk of life must realize that the system will not work by itself. We must make the system work. We already have the tool to progress, what we must now do is to learn how to use the tool. As of now, what we can do is to practice our democratic ideals, teach our democratic ideals to our Children and tell them not to commit the mistake our elders did in the past (and continuously doing). And pray to the Almighty to grant our people the wisdom. Yes, it is still a long way to go, but it is the only way.
Even as I speak out my mind here, some individuals may already lose their hope on democracy since they idolize the revered foreigner Mr. Lee and drawing up plans on how to impose the Mr. Lee system here in our nation. Some may even disagree with my opinion regarding the Marcos regime and the PGMA presidency. They may never understand me, yet in the spirit of democracy I respect differing opinions.
Mabuhay tayong lahat!

APRIL 5, 2009, MANILA

To The Filipino Christian Graduate of Today

To The Christian Filipino Graduate of Today
By Manuel A. Rodriguez, UST Batch 2009

There is probably no other time of the year as most awaited by students, parents and teachers than the graduation day. For the students who will not yet graduate, it is the start of their summer vacation where they can enjoy or rest and have a break to re-energize themselves for the next academic year. The same may be true for the teachers, who, after a very stressful year, may now enjoy a deserved rest.
For the parents of the graduates, it is a time of great relief and thanksgiving, for it marks the beginning of the fulfillment of their children’s dreams. To a graduate like me, the graduation day is certainly the most awaited day. Now, I can say that I have partly fulfilled my dreams and realize my vision. I sincerely hope that all of us, batch mates, are setting on the high road of achievement, success, and service to others. I urge my fellow Christian graduates to recognize the deep pride that our parents and our loved ones feel for us. Let us thank them for their support, prayers, encouragement, time and their touch of comfort during our hard times as students.
Reservations and Fears
However, together with our feelings of happiness and excitements are the fears, of what will we become years from now. People, who are older than us, usually say that it is but normal for us to be apprehensive. But I am sure that even if our country is confronted with, and struggling from, social problems, economic crisis and political chaotic scenario, there are still countless opportunities outside for graduates who are Christians. In St.Paul’s letter to the Romans, there is a verse that may be appropriate: “All things work together for good to them who love God.” (Romans 8:28).
We all just have to believe in our capabilities, do the will of our Father in heaven, toil hard with patience, live our values and virtues, give more than we take, and of course, storm heaven with our prayers.
The day we attend our respective commencement exercises, we have already partly achieved our dreams. That moment will mark the end of a journey and a start of a new one. That is why probably we are calling it commencement exercises, to remind us that graduation is not the end, nor it is the ultimate achievement or the realization of our goals. It is more of a start or an opening of new doors leading to a realm of vast possibilities. This is true for the hundreds of thousands of people who have graduated before and for us Batch 2009. Each graduate, with a good academic training and experiences, has been prepared to take the next step on whatever path he or she has chosen to take.


The wars we are all in
With the uncertainty this country is facing, the opportunity before us has never been greater and the challenge has never been more intimidating.
As we are all aware, our nation today is fighting several wars, and our enemies in every battle in these wars are seemingly unconquerable. We are waging war against all forms of criminality, drugs, corruption, poverty and injustice. We are waging war against terrorism. We are waging war against forces that seek to destroy our democracy, and against evils that seek to divide and destroy the institutions of family.
While we now know who are enemies are and already waged war, we need to religiously assess, and firm up our tactics. As our country is trying to heal its wounds, solve social problems and exerts effort to transform us into a better country for our generation and those who will follow, it calls for us Christians.
The challenges that our nation is facing now is to heavy and complex to be left on the hands of the few. Our country is pleading for men and women like us to come to its rescue. The nation demands from us, citizens, full participation, support and dedication. The virtue of loving our nation is often being neglected even by Christians like us; we are too busy praying for our own concerns or of those people who are near to us…forgive us o God for forgetting our beloved Philippines.
The Challenge for us
I encourage my fellow Filipino graduates who are in Christ, to serve this nation of ours in every possible way, in every way we can. Graduates like us have so much to give for the Philippines.
While the generation that came before us, have their experience to rely on, we have the intelligence keenness, knowledge, energy, hope, dreams and idealism to trust on. Our country may already have much brains working for the government, but they without a doubt lack the sustained idealism that can live and bloom in the middle of harsh, selfish, complacent, mediocre, and unprincipled society and work environment. This nation need young blood with bold yet noble, principles and with high and sustained idealism and courage, who can act without fear and correct or rectify the wrong without compromise with Christianity as his template principle.
Government service…why not?
While we hate to admit it, it is common perception that the government is filled with mediocre, undriven and unmotivated people, with the notion that government is for lazy and sleazy people. Most officials in the government are corrupt, and abusive in the exercise of their power. May we see these negative notions of people to the government as a calling for us to do something that will make it the otherwise. If we value our nation that much, we will immerse ourselves in it and we will make a difference.
I am not saying of course that only the government needs good, honest, and dedicated worker. In fact all of us, in whatever field or endeavor we may find ourselves in the future, must continuously preserve and cultivate our ideals, values and virtues that we hold now. The realities outside the halls of our respected campuses are more complex as we think, and as we can imagine. We must guard ourselves against the luring temptation of money, power and influence just to get our wants, at the expense of our values, principles, and faith.
The idealism we should have
When I speak of idealism, I am referring to idealism in action –the nationalist idealism possessed and practiced by the likes of our national hero Rizal, and Bonifacio, and Ninoy and many of our revered statesmen in the past. With regards to the Christian idealism, I am referring to the idealism that Christ himself practiced while he was on this world.
Idealism should not only remain in the head. It should be practiced and tested. Idealism in action cannot be possible without the corresponding courage because it is courage that will actualize it. Winston Churchill once said: “Moral courage is one virtue, that make all other virtues possible.” Indeed, of what is the use of our honesty if we do not have the courage to uphold it? Justice, if we do not have courage to defend it? Democracy, if we do not have the courage to fight for it?
As Christians our idealism should also be grounded on proper values and virtues and should have a special leaning to the disadvantaged and less privileged in life. Its bias should be for the achievement of social equality and justice, as what the ancient maxim says: “Salus populi est suprema lex – The welfare of the people is the supreme law.”
Our role in the 2010 elections
May of next year, we will be electing the next set of people who will lead this nation. We will elect the next president who will lead us for the next 6 years. For many of us, this is maybe the first time that we will practice our right to suffrage. With the realities of the practice of election on our country, and as enlightened graduates, we know that this is, indeed, a not so easy time. This is maybe the first time that our idealism, principles, intellectual maturity and good judgment may be used or tested. But above all, it is still a test of faith for us Christians.
We have been watching the possible candidates closely, even there is still no campaign on going we have been listening to the promises that they implicitly say (some explicitly), seeing how they perform or act, and weighing the virtues of each. Ideally we would like to see how closely they come to fulfilling our own vision of the future and of the future of our nation. Yet, we may be tempted to ask: “How do we choose if none is close enough?” Verily, it may not surprise is if some choices are made out of disillusionment or resignation rather than out of hope.
This confusion, some may tell us is the “reality of the world.” Others may say that this has nothing to do with the books we have been studying all these years. True enough no matter how excellently our books are written, or how esteemed our lecturers are, there will be so much more to any event that inevitably, or even necessarily remains unsaid. All the intrigues that the media is feeding our minds, whether here or abroad, all the backdoor negotiations, or seemingly shady deals merely scratched the surface of everything that is really happening.
This is the sad reality. But do not get me wrong because I will be the first one to say that it does not have to be dire. Evolving social structures are what we must live and work with, and it does no good to do nothing but shake fists at the storm. However this real world will be presented to you, your comfort and hope are in your intelligence and your education. Maybe at first it does not seem enough to stop floodgates. But, if only my words alone can assure you for your lifetime, I say that this is more than enough.
A life for others, a life of purpose
Years from now, we may already be enjoying the fruits of our labor. Yet we may still be living in the poor old Philippines where leaders remain selfish and corrupt, crime is everywhere and poverty and injustice still abound. And we may ask ourselves where were our values, our idealism, our ideals and dreams for our nation and our fellow Filipinos? Indeed despite our success, we may have missed something still. Perhaps we have forgotten to enrich the values, dreams, and ideals because we have focused our minds and our work only to our own future. Please, let us not do the wrong thing our old ones did.
Have you forgotten that we ought to live for others? In a world full of hostility and greed there is no feeling more refreshing and fulfilling than that of having served and helped a disadvantaged brother or sister. The most accomplished life I that one fully dedicated for the benefit for others.
Thus as we all go now to the real world, I would like to urge you to continually assess our virtues, values, ideals, and principles, which we are holding now. And ask where are we in the practice or in our mission in fulfilling or realizing them.

MARCH 22, 2009, MANILA

With This We Call For Change

“With This We Call For Change”
By Manuel Rodriguez II, UST - Students' Democratic Party(SDP)

“…DEMOCRACY… IT IS OUR DUTY NOW, IN DANGER AS IN SECURITY, TO UPHOLD AND SUSTAIN IT WITH ALL THAT WE HAVE AND ARE.”
-excerpt from the Democratic Creed by Stephen Bennet
(Standard creed of the SDP 1st party convention)

The case of Mr. Jocjoc Bolante on the 728 million pesos fund for fertilizers, the disappearance of the 3.1 billion budget for irrigation, Arroyo’s fraudulent acts on the 2004 national elections that made her an illegitimate president, left and right cases of extra-judicial killings and the most recent and controversial NBN-ZTE deal scandal.

For 7 years the Arroyo regime failed to uphold the trust of the Filipino nation, our country is left tortured and wounded. The continuous issues and scandals in the country’s political arena have effectively placed into the spotlight the crisis in the administration of Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – the crisis which has transformed the people’s search for truth and justice into an advocacy to oust an immoral leader of the land.

The whole truth about the anomalous NBN-ZTE contract is slowly being revealed by the statements of a very credible individual in the persona of our fellow Thomasian, Eng’r Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, former President of PhilForest, a corporation owned by the government. According to Lozada, Mr. Jose Miguel “Mike”Arroyo the husband of the President of the Republic of the Philippines, and the former ComElec Chairperson Benjamin Abalos are one of the people who are very willing to close the deal between the Philippines and China, because of their self interests to earn a 65 million to 130 million US dollars commission.

While majority of our people live their everyday life with only 65 pesos or lower on their pockets, people like Mr. Arroyo and Mr. Abalos are earning millions without sweat.

Under this kind of administration our search for truth will not and never be easy and will face many crossroads and obstacles. We can expect the government to discredit witness like Eng’r Lozada and block possible bearer of truth like Sec. Romulo Neri of CHEd.

If the University of Santo Tomas (UST) demands from its students which are their main stakeholders commitment, compassion and competence, then the nation as the same expect from the Thomasians to make use of their education in defining and knowing the difference between justice and injustice with very strong fervor.

In a three page paper titled “Why I Cannot and Will Not Support Calls for the Presidents’ Resignation,” pro- administration priest Fr. Ranhillio Calangan- Aquino pointed out that “when one protests his earnestness in search for truth, and at the same time presses for the resignation of the President (PGMA), one is guilty ofperformative contradiction.”

“If you search for truth, you do not know yet the whether she is guilty or not. But if you do know this yet, what reason is there to ask her to resign?” Fr. Aquino retorted.

My response to his statement? It is not that the current President has lost her capacity to govern the country, however due to many controversial events, I believe that the President should step down or be ousted from her position because of her inability to gain the trust of the Filipino people. Leadership requires influence; clearly the President has lost that.
With this we call for change.

MARCH 15, 2008, MANILA