A letter to the President that should be in mainstream media

My friend and colleague in the 2005 Constitutional Commission, Lito Lorenzana, wrote a column about a letter that should be published in mainstream media. I agree with its contents and I am sure many will once they read it. It was written as a post in Facebook.

The letter is addressed to the President purportedly signed by the AFP Chief of Staff and the major service commanders. I did not have to edit it because I agreed with every word it contained.

It is supposed to be a letter to the President and he should read it. This letter did not mince words “…there is enough ground already to dissolve Congress and declare RevGov…”

It should be spread to all Filipinos and not be limited to social media.

It is time that the President take action realizing that “he is no match against the very system he wanted to change while working within it.” This is the dilemma that he has to face now or he and reforms will come to naught.

“Except for a few, their level of managerial sophistication has not matched the exigencies of their office.”

Time is not exactly in the President’s favor. The oligarchy can sit him out on his legal term limits, as they did over the decades for all those elected to power that purport to reform the system the oligarchy has exploited for itself.

Let me again quote the AFP major commander’s letter to PRRD: “…recent events have placed us in a quandary as those who, like us are pledged to abide by the Constitution, have beyond doubt been the ones habitually undermining and making a mockery of it even while hiding behind it to escape prosecution. …Even more curiously, despite the many weaknesses in our electoral process that have been exposed, not a single member of Congress has made a single proposal for electoral reform…”

Mr. President, we fully understand that it is not in your nature to ask us to transgress the Constitution we have all sworn to uphold. However, as our Commander-in-Chief we are obliged to present to you our concerns… We fear that without timely and decisive action, not only will everything we have fought, worked hard and died for will come to naught, threatening the future of our children and future generations.”

Shortly after President Digong was elected, I had already written a column on the challenges he faced and that only an act of strong will do with the people and military behind him.

“There is a difference between martial law and strong rule in the context of Philippine politics today. In my opinion we need strong rule but it need not be a military dictatorship. The military is in charge under martial law. In strong rule, the military does not take direct charge of government. It is there to support civilian rule. Singapore is a good example of strong rule without direct intervention of the military. Lee Kuan Yew practiced strong rule successfully. In my opinion the Philippines today would be best served by a combination of parliamentary government with a federal structure like Malaysia has.

Filipinos tried hard to advocate for constitutional change but its enemies were too powerful. The elite blocked it time and again.

President Duterte won the elections because he exemplified a leader who will bring about this change. He communicated with the masses with his persona and manner of speaking.

The recent protests commemorating the evil deeds during martial law under Marcos is being used against the good intentions of Duterte. To some Noynoy’s presidency was worse than corruption during Marcos because he defied all rules of law to govern the way he wanted. That also is dictatorship of a kind.

The undertow was the growing disparity between the rich and the poor and a disappearing middle class. Democratic elections and government were limited to the oligarchic class and their subalterns best personified by the Lopez family. They owned media which promoted their business interests.

Their example was followed by other oligarchic families and was written about excellently by Alfred McCoy in his book The Anarchy of Families. It must be remembered that it was the Marcos-Lopez partnership that became the template for our politics and society that eventually led to the more vicious Aquino-Lopez partnership.

If Duterte is to achieve change and a new Constitution he needs strong rule.

Democracy is inevitably a clash of interests. In the Philippines the most grievous was the clash of interests between the rich and powerful elite and the masses of the poor.

Duterte communicated and gave nerve to the excluded poor and the dispossessed which drove them to rallies never seen before in recent politics. Filipinos crowded his rallies and saw its climax during his miting de abanse on May 7, 2016 in Luneta.

For thinking citizens, it is obvious that no matter how much we want change we will not be able to do it without strong rule. The traditional politicians, the oligarchy and the system they protect will not allow change. They will fight tooth and nail to retain the status quo which gives them their wealth and privileges.

A choice will have to be made soon on whether we keep the status quo or take the steps necessary for parliamentary federalism. We elected Duterte as President/ leader to get it done.

Given the entrenched positions of officials of the Aquino administration, it will be impossible to do so unless President Duterte assumes the extraordinary powers he needs. The most serious stumbling block is Congress and the previous government’s subalterns in the bureaucracy.

Duterte has given his war against drug lords priority because the election of officials is funded by drug lords. We remove the power of drug lords to fund politicians and excise corrupt politicians in Congress at the same time. It is a dangerous combination and needs a strong hand to break up.

Duterte can achieve his mandate with speed with the people and military supporting him.

This is where military help is needed and the 1987 Constitution empowers it to do so.

The 1987 Constitution states in Article II of the principles and state policies in Section 3 that “Civilian authority is, at all times, supreme over the military. The Armed Forces of the Philippines is the protector of the people and the State. Its goal is to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the national territory.”