Wait.
Whew. A lot has happened since I last posted: my University is taking quite a controversial stand on the issue of GMA's resignation, the CBCP has taken a politically-neutral hands-off approach, and the opposition continues trying to convince Madam President to step down. The CPP-NPA is planning a summer-end offensive, perhaps in an effort to try to take advantage of the situation. More than half of GMA's cabinet (and cabinet-level) officials, once admired for their loyalty, have already flown the coop. The Armed Forces (AFP) is also taking a neutral stand, with Chief of Staff Efren Abu issuing a stern warning against soldiers who would be participating in any unconstitutional effort to remove the President from office. Even Former President Corazon Aquino has repeatedly asked for GMA's ultimate sacrifice to avert a likely disaster of more divisions and rifts across Filipino society.
What does this all of these tell us?
That despite the overwhelming clamor for her resignation (at least in Metro Manila), that despite her steely resolve to stay in office, that despite the continuous bickering over politics... we are actually arguing over issues we should've had argued over in the election campaign periods. The thing is, never before there has been as much talk over constitutional change, a federal-parliamentary form of government, electoral reforms and other pressing issues. Personally, I think we Pinoys have this nagging bad habit of only tackling problems when they finally come to haunt us.
Debate is healthy; arguing is healthy. (To some degree, that is.) But we must not forget that at the end of the day, the most important thing is not only to see macro-level economic and social improvements, but also to ensure that these improvements trickle down to the micro-, individual levels. Issues such as population and family planning will certainly take the spotlight here, as these need to be taken in consideration alongside the current capability of our government to provide social services to a population that ranks amongst the twenty nations of the world that have the highest population growth rates.
I could only hope with crossed fingers that all this talk will, in the end, translate into action.
Whew. A lot has happened since I last posted: my University is taking quite a controversial stand on the issue of GMA's resignation, the CBCP has taken a politically-neutral hands-off approach, and the opposition continues trying to convince Madam President to step down. The CPP-NPA is planning a summer-end offensive, perhaps in an effort to try to take advantage of the situation. More than half of GMA's cabinet (and cabinet-level) officials, once admired for their loyalty, have already flown the coop. The Armed Forces (AFP) is also taking a neutral stand, with Chief of Staff Efren Abu issuing a stern warning against soldiers who would be participating in any unconstitutional effort to remove the President from office. Even Former President Corazon Aquino has repeatedly asked for GMA's ultimate sacrifice to avert a likely disaster of more divisions and rifts across Filipino society.
What does this all of these tell us?
That despite the overwhelming clamor for her resignation (at least in Metro Manila), that despite her steely resolve to stay in office, that despite the continuous bickering over politics... we are actually arguing over issues we should've had argued over in the election campaign periods. The thing is, never before there has been as much talk over constitutional change, a federal-parliamentary form of government, electoral reforms and other pressing issues. Personally, I think we Pinoys have this nagging bad habit of only tackling problems when they finally come to haunt us.
Debate is healthy; arguing is healthy. (To some degree, that is.) But we must not forget that at the end of the day, the most important thing is not only to see macro-level economic and social improvements, but also to ensure that these improvements trickle down to the micro-, individual levels. Issues such as population and family planning will certainly take the spotlight here, as these need to be taken in consideration alongside the current capability of our government to provide social services to a population that ranks amongst the twenty nations of the world that have the highest population growth rates.
I could only hope with crossed fingers that all this talk will, in the end, translate into action.
posted by ralph at
7:49 PM
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