As Newsweek asked in its latest issue – After 20 years, what does the Philippines have to show except perfecting the game of political musical chairs? The article further described the Philippines as "the clown in the class of new democracies." Are we really going to allow all these Ronald McDonalds to run this country or are we finally going to be more serious and put an end to shortsightedness and this habitual quick-fix solution? Shooting from the hip will only make us shoot ourselves in the foot.
Forcing out a president is certainly not the answer to our long-term stability. As a matter of fact, it has contributed to more instability because there simply is no predictability in our laws and the system. Today, our international credibility is at its lowest. The international community is beginning to wonder how long GMA will last. They are beginning to believe that changing presidents in the Philippines is as easy as changing a car every year. Local gamblers are even betting she will go down in three to four months. It has become a jueteng game. Some are betting she will dig in and die with her boots on. Have we reduced a serious matter like this into a mere game of betting? I remember someone once said, "I’d rather vote for a dog." Well, we may end up with a dog because this country will surely go to the dogs if we continue along this path. Guilty or not, GMA may be the problem but she can also be THE solution. Resignation is voluntary but shouting her out of office is definitely not the answer. This will be a recurring political nightmare that will make us scream over and over again.
Admittedly, the Presidency now has inherent limitations. This makes constitutional amendments more urgent. Again, I’m not going to argue on what kind of system of government we must have. The bottomline is the system is failing and that is why we have the problems we have today. And yet the right to self-defense, a basic rule of law, is not being followed. If we do not follow the fundamental law at the highest level, how can we expect people to follow the simple traffic rules at the lowest level?
Ultimately, it is more important that definitive structural changes be made. I’m not such a great fan of FVR, but his long-term solution makes sense. We should instead expend our energies on finding such long-term solutions for the economic and political stability of this country. The FVR formula is worth exploring because we also have to strengthen our institutions and change, if we must, the system that has failed us.
It is no secret that Joseph Estrada is a good friend of mine. Perhaps, I’m even closer to him than to GMA, who also happens to be a personal friend. But this goes beyond personal friendship. It is all about the country’s future and letting the constitutional process takes its course as it is supposed to. Having brought us nothing but misery, the politics of personalities must now come to an end. It should be por la patria instead of por la Gloria or por la Erap. Otherwise, we’ll all end up with por la nada – nothing, zero, zilch.
I happen to be a member of the Makati Business Club (MBC). I was surprised when its board, led by Dick Romulo, issued the "GMA Resign" manifesto without even bothering to consult the other members. Hello! who died and made you king? In the absence of a solid consensus, it was rash, premature, and a big mistake. Romulo’s clique has developed the habit of asking for the resignation of presidents without analyzing the consequences of such calls. Some people think that if they’ve done it once before, like in the case of Joseph Estrada, they think they can do it again. Now they are beginning to think they have become the country’s saviors – worse, they think they’re God’s gift to this country. The reality is – they have become a legend in their own minds. It was really irresponsible for a man like Dick Romulo, who is supposedly a lawyer, not to regard the rule of law as the paramount consideration before sentencing guilt. In any language, these people have condemned GMA without due process.
We should drop the quick-fix mentality and start looking at the forest instead of the trees. As long as the military and the Americans remain neutral, we will survive this process without fear of abrupt and jarring change. For once, let us follow the rule of law. If we insist on doing things without analyzing the consequences, this state will remain in paralysis forever.