Oratorical Piece for Ralph

It’s the people running the system
For Ralph Calagui

If memory serves me right, it was Aristotle who once said that any form of government is good as long as the leader who exercises power ultimately seeks the good of all rather than his own personal interest.

Speech Mentor, Mrs. Velita Buhian, fellow classmates, my warmest greetings to all of you.

Charter Change captured the attention of the Filipinos and has resulted a struggle between the political elites and the dwindled species of minority. Given the stalwart’s lust for power they will really do their best to make fool out of the people. Our leaders even Gloria herself were deluded by an assumption that a change to parliamentary structure would develop this nation. They keep on doing great pieces of rhetoric “of forgetting the past and moving on” but the question goes, “to where are we moving?”

As I study this matter seriously, I believe it is not the system; it is the people running the system. Based on my reflections, there are three major preconditions of effective parliamentary. These include: first, resilient and feasible political parties; second, trustworthy system of election and third, efficient and competent bureaucracy. It is awful to note that NONE of these requisites are being held by the Philippines at the present. Looking into the strength of our political parties, legislatures have thwarted any proposal to penalize turncoatism as it was practiced by Magsaysay, Marcos and Roxas. Even factions within the party exist; consider for instance the conflict of interest between GMA and FVR inside Lakas NUCD, is it not a proof?

With respect to our polling credibility, we all know that the commission tasked to enforce and administer honest conduct of elections is very susceptible to partisan politics realizing fully of the long-practiced patron-client relationship. Efforts to modernize the voting mechanism of the people garnered strong appeal from the electorate themselves but it seems the government is not really into the idea. Given the same leadership, it might make the same mistake. There has even been “no move to ensure that Garcillano-Abalos type appointments” would be a thing of the past.

As to the efficiency of the bureaucracy, the Civil Service Commission is supposed to uphold merit and fitness in the bureaucracy setting standards on the level of education, training and expertise and eligibility but as reality bites, politics rides on. Even those who do not possess the civil-service requirements are still being offered sensitive positions.

The solution to our problems lies not on the change of the structure of the system. It lies on all of us. It is wrong to perceive that constitutional change is the “panacea to our pandemonium”. For according to Randy David, there has been no empirical study conceived before the world supporting de Venecia and Ramos’ claim that a shift means elimination of graft and corruption, electoral fraud and poverty.

It is my contention that for as long as the economic vulnerability of the masses is not addressed and for as long as the same political butterflies hover the nectar of power, no constitution, no government , no leader indeed no system will bring better. To paraphrase an American president, it is not the system, stupid! (padm_bangkong)