Wish list

With so many unexpected and unpredicted happenings during the year about to end especially under a President who confused people as to when he is joking and when he is serious. It is really tough to foresee or make accurate predictions of events for the coming year, or what is in store for our country in the future. So it is better to just prepare a wish list as we blast away the Old and ring in the New Year. After all, making wishes is the mark of being hopeful, and is in itself some sort of indulging in predictions.

First of all, the people wish that the President be always serious in making public statements affecting public interest and public welfare. He should put to rest the vital issues bugging his administration by projecting the face of credibility. Then of course, he should be open to suggestions and criticisms and remove the frame of mentality that he is always right. This is especially true in connection with his current tussle with the Bishops of our country. He must consider that all their public assessments and pronouncements about his thoughts, words and deeds are for the good of our country and people. If they are commenting on some of his moves, he should accept them as attempts to help him in serving our people. His belligerent attitude that even extends to ordering the killing of Bishops, and lashing back at his critics with foul language and invectives will only create disunity rather than unity.

 Then of course, people wish him to succeed in his program of government especially his war on drugs which he promised to end in six months upon assuming office. Maybe he should re-aim his target on the drug lords and sellers of prohibited drugs rather than on the poverty stricken pushers and users who are themselves victims in this war. His success here depends so much in changing his tactics which have not been successful anyway. The war cannot indeed really succeed through bullying and killing, but through rehabilitation of the thousands of addicts.

Thirdly, people are also fervently hoping that he succeeds in his war on corruption. This is a war that has been on-going the longest time in our government but up to now, it has not succeeded. And he should realize that it will never succeed as long as we have politicians who serve their own selfish interest than the public interest. The kind of politics we now have is the main cause of this seemingly unstoppable corruption in our country. While Duterte has repeatedly told us of his vehement disgust over corruption, it seems that people close to him and his administration are engaged in graft and corruption. His war appears to be more of words than of action. What he should do in this connection are: (1) abolish the pork barrel system in our country which has already been proven as the main source of corruption in Congress; and (2) choose people in government who are engaged in politics of principles than politics of personalities; and (3) create a Constitutional Commission to amend our Constitution by adopting federalism or at least changing Congress from a bicameral to a unicameral assembly. Doing so so would eliminate duplication of function and thus save on government expenses. The current politics of personalities may become politics of principles. And the initial, more effective move in this connection is to see to it that people is duly informed of the candidate they should elect; that these candidates must always have in mind, first and foremost, the plights of the poor and the marginalized in our country by ensuring that they have the basic necessities in life which are food, clothing, shelter and means of livelihood.

Indeed it can be said that the problem of poverty has also been the cause of the problem of peace and order. Since we became independent, poverty appears to thrive in our land. And it has also been shown that because of poverty, the New People’s Army have never been defeated and annihilated in our land. We had a President who seemed to be succeeding against the NPA and promoting peace in our country by concentrating in solving poverty among the masses, Ramon Magsaysay, the man of the masses and the nemesis of the Hukbalahaps. Unfortunately however, he died in a plane crash while doing his job. Hence what we need now is another “Ramon Magsaysay.” If we have another Magsaysay as President, we may be able to lick crime, corruption and poverty and therefore have peace and order by eliminating the NPA and other rebel groups.

Of course, all of the above are just wish list. But there is nothing wrong in thinking and considering them at this time of the  year when all of us are in the midst of celebrating the holidays which is a clear sign that we are indeed a People of Faith, Hope and Love.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

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