A couple of activities prior to the Feb. 29 Interfaith Rally by the opposition is worth noting. One was the “Peace Camp” by a group calling itself Kongreso ng Mamamayan held at the Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City while another is the mass for “peace and unity” by a group called Mahal Ko Bayan Ko in Makati. These activities are in themselves very revealing. Not only does it show that those who support the President are capable of mobilizing (as in the Rotonda camp-out) but also, and more importantly, that there may indeed be another aspect, another side of the Jun Lozada coin.
Such activities are not to be dismissed as mere “hakot” or staged political action. These are expressions of this very different viewpoint of the ZTE-NBN scandal now hounding the government. It is a physical expression of another point of view which genuinely exists among a significant section of society. These two events serve notice that there are still people in our society today that wants to uphold and support the present dispensation.
As such it should be taken seriously, especially by those pondering on grabbing political power from the president. Arroyo maybe unpopular in the media these days yet it cannot be denied that certain segments of our population have also a very regard for her and for what she had been able to do for them through the delivery of social services. To grab political power through extra-legal means is to invite political divisiveness and civil strife. To force the issue of unseating the presidency could provoke civil war.
Certain members of the so-called civil society and the academe insists that we have to chose between the lesser evil of a continued Arroyo presidency and the incessant political conflict which could settle in wake of her ouster. As I have always argued, we must allow our judiciary and electoral system to grow even if we perceive such political processes as flawed. To resort to extra-constitutional means of succession every time we see an incumbent president as “corrupt" would not only denigrate our democracy but also poses the danger of playing into the hands of those who stand to gain from the unrest. We must use the processes enshrined in our laws and the constitution and have faith in our democratic system, which maybe imperfect for now, but will shall ultimately mature.
Such activities are not to be dismissed as mere “hakot” or staged political action. These are expressions of this very different viewpoint of the ZTE-NBN scandal now hounding the government. It is a physical expression of another point of view which genuinely exists among a significant section of society. These two events serve notice that there are still people in our society today that wants to uphold and support the present dispensation.
As such it should be taken seriously, especially by those pondering on grabbing political power from the president. Arroyo maybe unpopular in the media these days yet it cannot be denied that certain segments of our population have also a very regard for her and for what she had been able to do for them through the delivery of social services. To grab political power through extra-legal means is to invite political divisiveness and civil strife. To force the issue of unseating the presidency could provoke civil war.
Certain members of the so-called civil society and the academe insists that we have to chose between the lesser evil of a continued Arroyo presidency and the incessant political conflict which could settle in wake of her ouster. As I have always argued, we must allow our judiciary and electoral system to grow even if we perceive such political processes as flawed. To resort to extra-constitutional means of succession every time we see an incumbent president as “corrupt" would not only denigrate our democracy but also poses the danger of playing into the hands of those who stand to gain from the unrest. We must use the processes enshrined in our laws and the constitution and have faith in our democratic system, which maybe imperfect for now, but will shall ultimately mature.
The greater task is not organizing and mobilizing the people to participate in sedition and confrontational political action. There is much more that has to be done with regards to our countrymen’s political education and values formation. Efforts and resources spent trying to unseat a president would be more meaningful if used towards the upliftment of our collective well-being.
2 comments:
To the one who commented above, please, if you have the least amount of decency in your evil soul, just get out of this blogsite. We don't need your inputs here. There are people here who truly support the administration, di kami bayaran tulad ninyo mga patay-gutom sumasama sa rally para sa libreng pagkain.
Kayo ang tumatanggap ng 30 pieces of silver o baka P200 lang magpapakamatay na kayo sa rally. Excuse me, we are educated people here, di katulad ninyo mga bastos kaya dapat sa inyo binabastos din. You are not welcome here!
You can lambass each other and have nothing in return. You can call each other names and still not changing anything in this country. The way you are acting is what makes this country a politically unstable one. Argue wisely. It seems to me that Filipinos are still politically immature. I hope this will change soon. Personally, I don't like GMA. But doesn't mean I have to go to the streets already. Some people might take advantage of the situation like the communist and be like totalitarian North Korea or the oligarchs and be stuck in the status quo. Let people power be within ourselves. Be the change you want to see.
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