Wanted: Change in the system of governance!

Tonight we give you a special presentation on Straight from the Sky giving you a quick view of what’s happening inside the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) with Capitol’s Consultant for Security and Jail Matters Mr. Byron F. Garcia. From the ancient walls of the Cebu Provincial Jail in M.J. Cuenco, three years ago, the inmates were moved to its present site in Kalunasan and a remarkable, even miraculous transformation has taken place at the CPDRC under Byron Garcia’s leadership.

Time Magazine has noted that the Dancing Inmates of CPDRC has become the top five most visited website in YouTube and this was featured by all the major satellite networks. From very unruly criminals at the provincial jail, their transformation from prisoners to performers have shaken the world to the point, during my taping session last Thursday, I chanced upon the Korean Sun Dance Troupe who asked to perform before the CPDRC inmates. In turn, the dancing inmates did an impromptu dance number for their Korean guests.

Aside from the two segment interview we had with Byron F. Garcia, we will feature on this show Byron’s 10-minute video presentation of the recent history of the CPDRC and its remarkable transformation. The “Thriller” dance number by the CPDRC Dancing inmates in YouTube was very poor quality video. Hence Straight from the Sky will give you an extra episode to feature the Thriller dance in high definition tv, including the Sinulog dance number that the inmates prepared, which we failed to see. So watch this very interesting show on the CPDRC on SkyCable’s channel 15 at 8:00 tonight.

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Having a rainy weekend allowed me to stay indoors and go malling, where we met friends who practically inhabit the mall’s coffeehouses. Everyone showed concern about the problems happening at the nation’s capital, concerns whether that Friday night mass rally at corner Paseo Roxas and Ayala Ave. would eventually lead to another EDSA Revolt if Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) doesn’t resign. Now do you really think things would change if Pres. Arroyo resigns? Please don’t tell me that 10,000 rallyists in Makati could trigger a regime change? This number is but a miniscule representation of the 89 million silent Filipinos!

While I submit that the Filipino people are sick and tired of all the corruption surrounding us, regime change isn’t going to bring this nation an instant “corrupt-free” administration. As a nation, we’ve seen not one, but two EDSA Revolts. One against a well-entrenched dictatorship, while the other a corrupt presidency. So, why haven’t things changed for the better in the Philippines?

The reason for that is simple. I have written here many times before that the problem with this country is that our Philippine Bus is old, decrepit and virtually a rolling junk, but the clamor of the opposition is merely to change the driver. So even if we did get a better driver to replace Pres. Arroyo, what good will that do when we really have a dysfunctional government? So like musical chairs, we will only change the top leadership with another bunch of corrupt individuals!

Now how many times in this corner have I cried out for change? Like I said, the chorus from the opposition is merely to change that temporary occupant in Malacañang. But like it or not, real change begins with changing our present system of governance, something that the Cory regime failed miserably to do because it refused to call for a Constitutional Convention (concon) and instead created her own kilometric Constitution wracked with flaws and snags that have always kept the rest of the nation under the stranglehold of Imperial Manila.

Like the unlamented Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) which was a very highly-centralized form of government, we must now get rid of Manila’s central authority and think Federalism. Yes, when we think Federalism, this can only be achieved by Charter Changes (Cha-cha).

I’m sure that you already know that once again we are hearing calls for cha-cha in Congress. So you might be asking me, why am I not toeing their line? Truth to tell, 21 years ago, when I became a journalist, I have always batted for charter changes, but in the process, I got burned too many times. It is unfortunate that the clamor for cha-cha comes from the House of Representatives and not the Filipino people.

I guess it is the ignorance of the Pinoy, who may be so damn conversant of the political turmoil swirling around him. He seems to be enjoying the high drama of the Senate hearings, but totally ignoring that we must do something to force this change for a better system of governance for our country. So let’s clamor for real change through a concon. Lastly, let me say that supporting Lozada is supporting the opposition’s call for regime change!

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