A non-revolution turns into revolution

We can be misled by the words we use to describe events. The EDSA people power revolution is perhaps the best example. If by revolution we mean a sudden change or changes in the way we are governed the EDSA people power did not do anything like that. The crowds that gathered in EDSA precipitated the removal of Marcos but nothing much changed in government or society. We were back in the same hole we tried to get out of. That is why more intelligent people prefer to call it a putsch rather than a revolution.

In 2016, something like the gathering of crowds took place – close to a million gathered in Luneta for the miting de avance of a relatively unknown man without a political party. It did not look anything like a revolution as revolutions are expected to be.

But in the coming days, that man named Duterte or Digong for short began a program of change unseen in other presidencies before him. The events came one by one in surprising swiftness. To me perhaps the most significant was his declaration of an independent foreign policy when he visited China. From now on, we will be our own country and will be open to any country be it the US, Russia or China or any other that would offer friendship and advance the interests of the Philippines. There were no ceremonies to celebrate a grand declaration or a clash that brings about an armed war. But it did change many things about how the Philippines would be run from here on without calling it a “revolution.”

It is not an easy job to change a country’s system while working with the old bureaucracy of the old system. But he did balance his move for change without upsetting the old one too abruptly. It was not easy to cope with difficulties that accompany enacting badly needed changes in government that would in time make a new and more humane society in the Philippines. He took it step by step but in the main it was to create policies for a more equal society.

When the American colonialists gave us formal independence they relied on the local oligarchy to carry on the job of dominating the political and economic structure of the country, with independence only in name. It became neo-colonialist.

Digong has had to tackle the two issues – American neocolonialism and oligarchic domination of government and society. Wisely never pushing too hard (except perhaps his swearing which in any case the masses love) but downsizing the oligarchy’s hold on government through tactical maneuvering. He has also gained popularity in other countries with problems of neocolonialism similar to ours. He is considered as an example of leadership especially in the region and is distinguished as the leader the ASEAN needs now.

Happily the people now have social media especially through Facebook to take part in discussions of Duterte’s revolutionary reforms. Two issues have recently been taken up – the role of mainstream media in society and government and the inordinate power of Congress particularly the Senate in the presidential unitary system of government we now have.

The present system not only hinders reforms but is the structure in which graft and corruption thrive.

The rent seeking politics has made money and media power the center of elections. It is not the first time that the 24 senators with the entire country as their constituencies are blocking reforms of the president with their sights on becoming the president instead.

In the last elections another monster has come in to destroy our electoral system which is the foundation of our democracy – the Smartmatic-PCOS which is in business to decide who wins and who loses through computer counting in secret and mechanisms unknown to ordinary voters. This, too has been taken up by Duterte.

These reforms inevitably lead to debates in changing the 1987 Constitution to change our government to parliamentary federal which was on top of Duterte’s reform for change. He is resolved to change the unitary structure to federalism.

Those who are interested in the debates now taking place on the oligarchy and the role of media can follow it up in Facebook. With 30 percent of Filipinos who are computer savvy, this is a useful place for discussion. It is not unlike town hall meetings in which ordinary citizens can participate in politics by raising their voices with their opinions.

So far, President Digong who turned a non-revolution to a revolution is moving ahead. The public satisfaction with the Duterte administration’s work performance reached a fresh record-high in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The poll was taken from Dec. 13 to 16 among 1,200 respondents nationwide revealed that 81 percent of adult Filipinos were satisfied with the government’s performance, while only 12 percent were dissatisfied.

Only 7 percent could not say whether they were satisfied or not with the government’s work, SWS said.

It is now being recognized by many that the monumental work of change in Philippine government and society cannot be done in six years. It takes more time to put a developing country like the Philippines to achieve stability. Any return to what it was before Duterte’s revolution would be catastrophic.