Labor and the sub-state proposal

The centuries-old tyranny of Manila, whereby Mindanaoans and Visayans are being treated as children of lesser gods, is now yielding a series of backlash. The MILF proposal for a substate, instead of outright independence, is a fair and just formula, albeit a belated backlash from a discriminated people against the central government’s too much concentration of both financial resources, political powers and socio-economic opportunities and developments. Manila gets all the assets and the South only contributes in taxes and in electoral frauds to make Manila’s favorites rob the political will of Visayas and Mindanao.

 The people from the South have been programmed to remain meek, uncomplaining, obedient followers who beg, borrow and plead for crumbs from the mighty lords from Luzon. The President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House, Supreme Court Chief Justice, the Court of Appeals Presiding Justice, the Ombudsman, AFP Chief of staff, Police Director General and almost all Cabinet Members come from the almighty seat of powers in the North. Since President Carlos P. Garcia lost to Diosdado Macapagal in the late fifties, up to today, Luzon always had its son or daughter elected President, namely: Marcos, Aquino, FVR, Estrada, GMA, Aquino again. And there is no respect for a balanced representation at all. The Vice Presidents also come from Luzon.

 Before, when Quezon was President, Osmeña was Vice President. When Macapagal was number one, Pelaez was number two. There was always a respect for all regions. Even Marcos made sure that his Vice President, Lopez, should come from the South and he also appointed a Muslim in the Supreme Court. Today, Luzon monopolizes everything and remembers the South only for tax collection and whenever they need to cheat in elections. All this years, the Southerners tolerated all these monopoly without any complaint, thereby exacerbating the North’s sense of superiority over the South.

 Brilliant young men and women in the South have no chance to hold key posts in government, especially if they did not study in UP, Ateneo or La Salle. These three institutions are the only gateways for Southerners to be accepted in the highly elite, fraternity-controlled “sanctum sanctorum” of the powers-that-be. This notorious tyranny of Manila is a cultural hangover of the imperialistic bigotry of the Spanish friars, the libertarian fixations of the Americans, and the cultural monolithic excesses of the Japanese. Manila is the country’s new colonizer that looks down on the Visayas and Mindanao as the mere suppliers of maids, drivers, political terrorists and electoral manipulators, who are expected to dance to the music dictated by the powers-that-be in Luzon.

 Despite too many decentralization laws, and regulations and a number of moves for local autonomy, whether strategic or tactical, whether constitutional or legislative, the fact remains that people from the South are not being treated equally and with due respect in Manila. They continue to bask in the might of power and the perks of privilege, the glitters of glory and the advantage of influence. I should know where of I speak. I am a Cebuano who experienced this discrimination first hand since 1975 or for 36 long and painful years in the cruel hands of people in the North. If this happens to a lawyer, law professor and former Undersecretary, how much more for those who have less voice in society?

 If Mindanao can be a substate, it stands to reason that Visayas should follow. The Philippines should evolve into a Federal state akin to Malaysia, which has 13 substates, all which exercise local powers except foreign affairs and national security. Everything else should be devolved. Our 16 regions can be the 16 substates and our flag should not have only three stars but sixteen (16), not only 8 rays of the sun, all representing Luzon provinces but at least 16 regions.

The labor fronts applaud the MILF for proposing a sound idea whose time has finally come. Kon dili karon, kanus a pa? Kon dili kita, kinsa man? Aber.