THE NEED FOR A TRANSITIONAL REVGOV TO SHIFT TO FEDERALISM

It must be admitted that talk of a revolutionary government can be rather alarming to those who have not considered the matter too deeply. However, it is not really a permanent or indefinite REVGOV that people are asking for but rather one that seems to be an unavoidable prerequisite in order to facilitate and properly implement the shift to Federalism.

WHY A REVGOV?
The 1987 Constitution essentially obliges the citizenry to rely on the very people who are the main cause of the need for change to become the harbingers of change that is supposed to stop them from committing their accustomed abuses and oblige them to do what they have never been able to do properly to this day! Does that really sound logical to anyone?

And the reality is that we do not have the luxury of time. Even if we could be assured that most of the pressing agendas might eventually be addressed, the reality is that there are far too many other issues that need to be worked out that the prescribed processes will never be able to cope with in a timely manner. And any protracted delay will only simply spell disaster and bigger problems.

Unfortunately, the many perplexing defects in the 1987 Constitution that have made critical the need for transition to a Federal government have also made not just determining the actual form itself but even just the matter of transition a daunting undertaking of heroic proportions.

SETTING THE STAGE
What people have not seemed to appreciate is that there can be no orderly transition possible in a state of dissention and chaos. Constructive criticism and democratic opposition cannot be fueled by obviously brazen lust for power and criminal intent. And solutions have to be applied in the proper sequence and not simply as issues arise or whichever are convenient to face.

Aside from the duplicity of Congress, there are at least two more vital issues which need to be addressed before any transition to Federal can even begin but which are being either maliciously twisted or seemingly deliberately ignored. These are the drug problem and the Andres Bautista/COMELEC issue.

A transition to Federalism BEFORE the drug problem has at least been drastically reduced and narco-politics eliminated would be courting disaster. Are the number of drug-related deaths really the problem or should we be more concerned about the number of addicts, pushers and drug protectors who cannot be convinced to quit? The possibility of a rogue Federal narco-state serving as a haven for the drug syndicates to supply the rest of the country is not a pleasant one to contemplate.

Then there are in the seemingly too near-future the Barangay elections in 2018, the Senatorial elections in 2019 as well as any plebiscite and elections related to Federalism. But any kind of elections would have to be undertaken by a COMELEC that is much more credible than the Constitutionally-mandated and protected one we have today. It is simply inconceivable that they could and would ever be capable of overseeing the “free, honest and fair elections” that we are always promised but have apparently never had.

Clearly, attaining Federalism within the current Constitutional restraints does not seem to be a job even for Superman.

Yet another complication is the matter of the BBL. Even as the Moros cannot be expected to forever hold their breath on the matter, the BBL will only pass, if ever, after much acrimonious and bitter debate, mostly about the Islamic provisions. And if it is addressed first, there will then be the problem of integrating it into the Federal system that will be established. These will both cause much time, effort and debate and only serve to yet again complicate matters. Rather, the ideal situation would seem to be to use the BBL, without the Islamic provisions, as the template for all or most of the Federal states to be established, and then let the Bangtsamoro state(s) deal with the Islamic provisions themselves. This would promote a national perception of equality and unity while avoiding strife by allowing the Moros to decide the things which unduly concern them themselves.

But will they have the patience to wait for Congress to work things out?

OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES
What to do with other Constitutional bodies so naively or diabolically created by the 1987 Constitution should REVGOV not simply be declared is yet another puzzle. The present system of appointment by the President for fixed terms of the Supreme Court Chief Justice, Ombudsman, and the COMELEC and CHR Chairmen with impeachment the only recourse for impropriety has been shown by at least 3 successive administrations to be patently flawed.

The previous Ombudsman was appointed by Arroyo and was impeached and forced to resign by Aquino for selective justice and inaction on cases involving Arroyo and Co. Lo and behold, the Ombudsman appointed by Aquino to replace her is now about to be charged for the very same offenses by Duterte!

The Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona was impeached and removed at apparently great cost purportedly for somewhat contrived SALN violations although it is common perception that this was precipitated by an unwelcome judgement against Aquino’s family. His replacement, appointed by Aquino was of course someone who would ensure that would never ever happen again and now facing impeachment for predictable reasons.

Now noticeably much quieter after being threatened with a P1,000 budget is the CHR Chairman who had nothing to say when real, honest-to-goodness human rights violations were being committed by his master who appointed him but suddenly woke up and started harassing the incumbent by imagining EJKs at every opportunity when his party mates lost the elections.

Because the previous President was able to appoint all three plus the COMELEC chairman whose anointed winning candidates in the last election could assure that any vote in the legislature for their impeachment would undergo rough sailing, the previous administration had a carte blanche to pretty much do as they pleased. This and the amassed booty they were able to hoard has allowed them to remain free from accountability even while pursuing a no-holds-barred agenda of replacing the elected President and getting back into power.

So, while the President has largely been able to contain them and expose them clearly for what they are, the prospect of justice and retribution for their sins seems rather distant at the moment. In fact, even that could be gladly dispensed with if they just simply faded away into comfortable oblivion and allowed the people to be free from their yoke. Unfortunately, there seems to be no limit to their lust for power and greed and they pose as nuisance, threat and obstacle to any attempt to dismantle their entrenched apparatus.

Ranged against all these and defending us is but ONE MAN, albeit supported by the great majority of the people. And while he has done a stupendous job against all odds to date, we cannot afford to relax and simply watch him battle the demons. Rather, though he does not ask for it, we must give him the weapons he needs to slay the dragon rather than just poke it. He has after all shown clearly enough that he deserves them, can be trusted with them and can expertly manage them as well. To delay much longer is only courting disaster.

So the final question: Will a TRANSITIONAL REVGOV be bloody and chaotic?

The answer: Probably not really. Only for the CRIMINALS who may want it to be. And certainly better than the alternatives.