Don’t make a business out of politics

Now that the political race has begun, it is now time to consider who among the presidential aspirants have a true reform package or plan. We already know that one major casualty of the Davide impeachment case was the call by House Speaker Jose de Venecia for a shift to a parliamentary form of government. People in Cebu are saying that if we were in a parliamentary system, Davide would not stand a chance, nor House Speaker de Venecia. That leaves us with my favorite one, federalism. If you don’t want a federal, then tell me if there are other concepts out there? Communism? That’s no alternative! Now didn’t we say that a charter change is our last card or we shall sink to more despair?

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I’m sure that many of us are gravely concerned that the Davide impeachment brouhaha destabilized this nation, more than a thousand Abu Sayyafs could do in their lairs in Basilan. Hence, when I read the news the other Tuesday from the Philippine STAR coming from the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) warning of mass layoffs in the year 2004, this could only mean more jobless people marching the streets not only to look for jobs that are no longer available, but joining mass rallies to force our politicians to do something to correct whatever is so wrong with the Philippines!

Of course, ECOP president Donald Dee always had a pessimistic view of the Philippines as compared to say, a guy like Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon. But then, Donald Dee has obviously taken into account all the problems besetting the country, hence, it is understandable that he sees those mass layoffs in election year 2004.

Well, it is not really difficult to predict what might happen in 2004. For instance, we already said that the so-called Brat Pack who miserably lost in their effort to have Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. ousted from the bench through impeachment, would certainly take a shot at it next year. Hence, pretty much of what is happening today would be repeated in the year 2004. So we ask the poignant question which the mother superior in the movie Sound of Music queried with a song, "How do we solve a problem like Maria?" So how do we solve a problem like the Philippines?

Frankly speaking, I think we Pinoys know how to solve this problem. It’s just that most of us don’t get too indignant on certain issues, until and unless it develops into a full-blown crisis like the Davide impeachment case. I mean, do we have to be told that bad news drive away foreign investors? Well, this is exactly what British Ambassador Paul Dimond who was in Cebu the other week said before the students of the University of San Carlos (USC). As for me, I’ve said it here and I’ll say it again, let’s reduce our politicking… get people away from politics and into business… and not make a business out of politics! That should do the trick! But are we ready to do that? Alas, I don’t think so!

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For e-mail responses to this article, write to [email protected]. Bobit Avila’s columns can also be accessed through www.thefreeman.com. He also hosts a weekly talk show entitled, "Straight from the Sky" shown every Monday only in Metro Cebu on Channel 15 on SkyCable at 8 p.m.