FVR and Charter change

Every so often, I am able to talk about charter change to former President Fidel V. Ramos. Once, I met up with him in Riyadh when he accompanied a group of businessmen to meet with Saudi business contacts. I was able to tell him, in what he described as an eyeball to eyeball discussion, how much I regretted that he did not lead our campaign for charter change then. In hindsight, I do not blame him. When it came to a choice between keeping the country united on one hand, and espousing charter change that might have led to restructuring government to sustain his economic program on the other, he opted for the former. He will never admit it, but he buckled in the face of the sustained propaganda against charter change led by what was perceived as the ‘morally ascendant’ former President Cory and Cardinal Sin. I have documentary proof of the alliance between EDSA and non-EDSA personalities who were determined to block charter change by hook or by crook. They are still around although considerably weakened by the chain of events which proved that their campaign against charter change was a mistake. Their argument was cloaked with the mantle of anti-Marcos-ism. FVR was a pillar of EDSA’s peaceful revolution that tantalized the world. It is understandable that he would not throw away that historical role so recklessly. He did not want to be accused as another Marcos wanting to extend his term.

It will be remembered that the late dictator had pushed for the 1971 Constitution which allowed him to stay in power. By the way, less people forget, that Constitution was drafted by a constitutional convention. There are delegates still alive today who will tell you that the ‘elected’ delegates departed from its original objective of a structural change for good governance. It was a futile and expensive exercise, sadly a lesson still unlearned.

It is my opinion that FVR’s decision to give more weight to the Aquino-Sin tandem and their followers’ assault rather than follow what would have been an opportunity to continue economic and political reforms, was a miscalculation. The effects of that miscalculation are all around us today. Most problems enumerated by the distinguished speakers come from that failure in judgment. Corruption (flawed electoral system), legislative gridlock (bicameral legislature), peace and order in Mindanao (unitary gov’t), drought in investments (archaic investment policies) are the most important cited. Charter change may not be a panacea but unless it is done none of the problems can be addressed effectively. This is not to blame him for what is done and cannot be undone but I would urge him as an active former leader of this country to make up for that miscalculation and use his influence as one who had learned his lesson well.

Last Thursday, the RPDEV, a think tank organized by Ramos and associates had their annual forum on the topic ‘Priority Economic Reforms and Political Will.’ The distinguished speakers were Aurelio Montinola III, Guillermo Luz, Justice Jose Vitug, Peter Wallace and Dante Canlas. Another former Ramos cabinet member, Victor Ramos summarized the forum/discussion while Ricky Carandang acted as moderator. All were experts in their fields. They generally pointed out the country’s problems and made suggestions on what might be done. I would infer from the summation that the lecture was addressed to the country’s leadership. As FVR pointed out Thailand has passed us by. The average Thai today is two to three times as rich as the average Filipino. He said in so many words that unless we wake up and buckle down to work we can expect continuous deterioration. The country can look to an unhappy future as a backwater in the world’s fastest growing region. "The way things are we may be losing the race already. Tomorrow’s economic winners and losers are already being decided by the investments that other countries are putting into education, health care, technology, and research and development. Winners are increasingly opening their markets with both their governments and business working to raise productivity."

He had sharp words against monopolies and cartels and cited a World Bank report which said only 39 corporate groups control 216 corporations that accounted for more than half of the total sales of the largest Philippine corporations. This oligarchic structure defeats any effort to make Philippine business ‘rules-based’ rather than ‘influenced based.’ He exhorted our leaders to stop playing politics and start leading. Taking an indirect dig at the quality of some of our leaders, he said "economic competition is the name of the game out there in the real world of the 21st century not athletic fame or glory or popularity." In conclusion, he said, "Through policy reforms and institutional change, we must make a start toward modernization because modernization is the end goal we seek for our country and people." Charter change, most of the speakers and audience agreed, is a step in the right direction.

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POLITICAL PARTIES AND A VISITOR FROM KOREA. Of late there has been an upsurge in party building with the Angara-led LDP and PDP-Laban of Nene Pimentel reorganizing to expand memberships. So are the Liberals under Sen. Frank Drilon and the Nacionalista Party led by Sen. Manny Villar. This is all very well but unless they can muster a coherent program and credible politics, these groupings will fall by the wayside as another attempt to retain the status quo in which they have flourished. The majority party, the Lakas-CMD has had a longer leadtime in party building. Moreover, it is spearheading charter change. In the words of Nene Pimentel, all this upsurge in party building will eventually lead to a division of political groups between those who want charter change and those who do not.

Meanwhile, the man at the helm of Lakas-CMD and its program for constitutional reform, Speaker JDV is actively promoting his party through innovative political ideas. Last Friday, the House of Representatives gave a medal of achievement to Lim Chae Jung, chairman of the Uri Party of Korea for his leadership in the ‘National Congress for New Politics". The citation added that as chairman of the ruling party, Jung could encourage "Korean and Filipino leaders to undertake initiatives that could have long-term results for East Asia and the whole of the Asian Continent."

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LETTER: Ernie Delfin, founder of Katipunan USA and PTAG wrote: "Abolish the Senate? If we do that, where will our SINators go? What occupation will they be able to go to replace their share of the pig’s (pork) budget? Hindi ba nakakaawa naman ang mga (dis)honorable SINators natin!!!

But what the heck... Abolish this useless body and we save millions or even billions of pesos for their grand standing! I pledge $100 for a ABOLISH THE SINate Movement or Satirical PLAY to create and expedite the gathering of critical mass demand for their NONexistence! Oh... house of Sins and comedians and drop-outs". E-mail: cpedrosa@edsamail.com.ph