Positive changes

At the dawn of a new year, we look back at the events of 2018, with a focus on the positive after a year of negative stories.

Among the developments: the Pasig River rehabilitation project won international recognition, and Boracay got cleaned up, although at a heavy cost to jobs on the island and the year’s tourist arrivals.

In August, the first Filipino nanosatellite, Maya-1, was deployed from the International Space Station.

Retired Army general Jovito Palparan, a.k.a. The Butcher, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the abduction and disappearance of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño.

And speaking of UP, it came closest to becoming UAAP champion for the first time since 1986. Hope springs eternal for the UP community. For this Christmas, an alumna gifted us fellow alumni with UP Fighting Maroons shirts, for cheering on the team in the next UAAP season.

Also for the first time, Imelda Marcos was convicted of seven counts of graft in connection with her clan’s unexplained immense wealth, but Imeldific is out on bail. Janet Lim Napoles was sentenced to life in prison for the pork barrel scam, but Bong Revilla was cleared.

A pleasant surprise: two cops were convicted for the drug-related execution of teenage high school student Kian Lloyd delos Santos. Caloocan City Regional Trial Court Branch 125 Judge Rodolfo Azucena Jr. sentenced the two cops to life in prison after a trial of just six months – the speed of light in the Philippine judicial system.

The Ease of Doing Business Act was enacted, to enhance the Anti-Red Tape Act. Also notable was the enactment of the Mental Health Act, as several suicides by famous individuals were reported.

New job opportunities opened up for Filipinos in Japan, China and several other countries. More measures were implemented to promote the welfare of overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East, which has the largest concentration of OFWs. Unfortunately, this was due to a horrific tragedy, the grisly murder of OFW Joanna Demafelis in Kuwait.

The passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law raised hopes for a more peaceful Mindanao.

The year drew to a close with the selection of Catriona Gray as Miss Universe – the fourth crown for the Philippines.

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Still on changes, among the issues that emerged in 2018, one stands out as an example of what happens to reform efforts in this country: the shift to a federal system of government.

Surveys have shown little public enthusiasm for the shift, and for Charter change, which is needed for federalism. The administration, however, believed that with better information, federalism and Cha-cha could gain public acceptance.

So the start of the year saw the creation of the consultative committee, which was tasked to draw up a draft federal charter for congressional deliberations. Headed by a retired chief justice, Concom members included respected constitutional experts, lawyers and proponents of federalism.

There are two ways of going about federation: different states can come together as in the US and become a single entity, with each state enjoying wide autonomy, or a single state can be subdivided into autonomous entities under a federal umbrella.

The second version is what is envisioned for our country. Critics of federalism point out that the country is divided enough in several aspects – whether geographically, with over 7,100 islands, or in terms of governance, with an abundance of political kingpins running their turfs like independent republics. Federalism proponents have yet to give a convincing answer to the most basic question: why do we need the shift?

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The skeptics clearly include many members of the so-called super majority in the House of Representatives. For sure the ranks of the HOR skeptics surged after Concom members included a provision in the draft charter lifting the term limits for all public officials except the president – but only if political dynasties are curbed.

For a while, some sectors supporting economic Cha-cha thought the changes would finally push through to make the country more competitive and attractive for job-generating investments.

But Cha-cha is a complex issue, and federalism even more so. People could fall asleep listening to debates on the issue.

The debate was enlivened by a video taped at Malacañang during office hours, featuring sexually suggestive dancing to the catchy tune of “pepe-dede-ralismo.”

Even Concom members were aghast. Of course it got everyone talking about federalism… in the wrong way. It was the first nail in the federalism coffin.

The second was when Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia publicly declared for the first time, in an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News / Cignal TV, that federalism would be bad news for government finances and the economy. Pernia’s sentiments were later echoed by the rest of the administration’s economic team.

A third nail was hammered in by Concom member Julio Teehankee, when he told The Chiefs that the draft charter would effectively allow President Duterte to seek a fresh term. Teehankee later backtracked, but the suspicion about a hidden agenda had been planted in the public’s mind.

Senators provided the fourth nail, vowing to sit on anything that would abolish their chamber.

The Concom finished the draft charter and submitted it to Malacañang, which forwarded it to the HOR, where the draft went straight to the wastebasket.

HOR members, busy with realignments after replacing Pantaleon Alvarez with Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, got to work on their own version of Cha-cha. Not surprisingly, any anti-dynasty provision was excluded, but term limits were lifted. The presidential-bicameral system was retained, with a federal component merely an option.

It was the final nail. In the last six months of the current Congress, it’s safe to declare Cha-cha and federalism dead.

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Speaking of politics, a hiss that’s growing louder in the Palace snake pit is that someone is furious over the realization of the extent of corruption and greed of a key ally, and that an alliance is about to be broken.

If this happens, I think the country will be a better place in the coming year.

It’s good to ring out the old year and welcome the new one on a note of hope.

May 2019 bring you prosperity and joy!