Running out of excuses to call for a con-con!

It’s 33 days more until the May 10th elections. Hopefully we shall elect good and responsible leaders who will serve our people and our communities and not themselves as most traditional politicians (trapos) do. Right now we are at a crucial moment in Philippine history where for the first time in our electoral history, thanks to the automated elections system, we would know within one or two days who would be the next President of the Philippines. Who would win this race would give us an insight of the Philippine political and economic landscape in the next six years.

With the turmoil we are experiencing with the present multi-party system which has only breed more ugly politics thanks to many greedy and irresponsible politicians not to mention that ill-fated political experiment called the Party-List system, those who have doggedly refused to call for charter changes (cha-cha) have ran out of excuses why we shouldn’t be holding cha-cha, via a duly-elected Constitutional Convention (con-con).

Examine the programs of the top three leading candidates and you will note that a Presidency under Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III will never change the constitution named after his mother. If Sen. Manny Villar gets elected into the Office of the Presidency, he already said that what this country needs is a good President, not cha-cha. So very clearly, if any of these two gets into Malacañang Palace, it is a guarantee that the evils of the multi-party and the Party List system will plaque us until the year 2016.

Again, the only Presidential candidate who is willing to take the bull by its horns and bite the bitter pill to solve whatever ails our nation is Lakas-Kampi Presidential bet Gilbert “GIBO” Teodoro Jr. He already stated that if elected President, he would call for a con-con on the first year of his term.

We all know that if a sitting President calls for a con-con on the last year of his or her term ends up being accused of trying to prolong his stay in power. So to disprove these skeptics, a con-con should be called at the start of the reign of a new President. Then we can move to change what needs to be changed in this country… like go back to a two-party system and get rid of that ill-fated experiment called a Party-List system.

What we ought to do is not merely go back to a two-party system, but come up with a law that gives strict guidelines on how people can join either political party. It’s about time for us to train new leaders because a lot of our politicians from the Marcos era are aging rapidly. Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, though he has aged much belongs to that bygone era. What this country needs are young people who are politically attuned to become Servant Leaders, not the old trapo kind who stuffs their own pockets with the people’s tax money all in the name of helping the poor people.

The only organization I know that prepares for future leaders comes from the private sector, namely the Aboitiz Group of Companies (AGC) who are now on their 5th year of the Aboitiz Future Leaders Business Summit (AFLBS). I just got a communiqué that AGC is now calling for applications to the 5th AFLBS to be held in Sept. 10-11, 2010. Every year, the Aboitiz Group selects the most promising young college students from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to attend a two-day conference on business and leadership where they can interface with the top CEO’s of the Aboitiz Group.

I have been attending this conferences and have thought within myself that if only this was done by political parties, especially when there will only be two parties, then new great political leaders will emerge to lead this nation to better governance and a better future for our people. While this does not yet exist within our political parties, at least the Aboitiz Group has come up with a template on finding out who our future leaders would be. Thanks to their commitment and branding dubbed, “Passion for Better Ways!”

Under this type of branding, the Aboitiz business strategy is never to be contented with the status quo because there are always better ways to improve things that needs to be improved. While I succumb to that famous American theory that says, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” everyone who has a grasp of the problems we have in this country knows that our constitution needs a lot of fixin’ but our problem is, Filipinos are unfortunately contented to be behind our ASEAN neighbors because they seem to be comfortable with the status quo! I dare say, now is the time to choose a President who will move this country forward and not stay with the status quo.

* * *

My family’s heartfelt condolences to Provincial Board member Agnes Magpale on the passing of her husband Judge Arsenio Magpale (ret) who left this world for a better life in eternity. He was a good man and a good judge. May we request the pious reader to please pray for the repose of his soul.

* * *

Email: [email protected]