From the looks of it, federalism is going to take a very rough ride.
Members of the elite who compose the oligarchy are using their resources to make it very difficult for federalist advocates to even take the first step.
Oligarchs are anti-federalism because this proposed new form of government, with a shift to a parliamentary system, will threaten their very existence, including their influence over national policies, particularly the shaping of economic and political directions.
Notice that these rich business magnates and taipans, who are few in numbers, are the giants of every industry in this country. They own virtually – or are majority shareholders of – all existing concerns be it in manufacturing, food and agricultural production, media and educational institutions, transportation, technology and telecom, real estate development, mining and oil exploration, power and energy companies, etc.
Name it and these oligarchs are into it. They are also the biggest political funders and contributors.
Pres. Duterte, as the primary mover of federalism, is seeking to change the 1987 Constitution, a job that three presidents before him – FVR, Erap Estrada and GMA – all failed to do during their respective incumbencies.
Oligarchs constitute less than one percent of our population. This inequitable distribution of wealth has prevented the Philippines from creating a strong, politically-matured middle class. They pretend to create a pro-poor image by instituting a company policy that is heavily-cloaked as a “corporate social responsibility” program.
A Third World country such as the Philippines needs total people empowerment to get out of the deep poverty the Filipinos are suffering from today.
The present unitary form of government has shackled our mass-based electorate thus preventing them from exercising the democratic principles enshrined in the fundamental law of the land.
That this is a government of, by and for the people is no longer the truism that is being invoked.
The concentration of too much power in a highly-centralized system of governance in the imperial halls of Metro Manila destroyed effectively the principle that sovereignty emanates from the people.
Oligarchs have many friends in high places – in the bench and judiciary, in both houses of Congress and even in the executive chambers of the Palace.
Oligarchs, because of the vastness of their reach and resources, have also elected sons and daughters, relatives, nephews and nieces embedded in cities, municipalities and congressional districts to ensure their influence is felt even by the grassroots.
If you can observe and see, the mainstream media are controlled by the oligarchy. They get to air, publish and broadcast issues favourable to them and magnify these as gospel-truth.
It is of record that the 1987 charter was enacted by people appointed by Pres. Cory and made haste to circumnavigate the then prevailing constitution under the Marcos regime.
It was initially successful as the powers-that-be demonized without let-up the achievements of the Marcos presidency by continuously articulating the evils that martial law brought upon us.
The glaring truth is that the 1987 Cory constitution bred more oligarchs than we perceive them to be, in contrast to the Marcos cronies.
These Cory leeches and sycophants managed to prevent legitimate foreign competition to come in by interposing a provision in the 1987 charter restricting them to a 60-40 share, a restriction that is now being sought to be repealed by federalism advocates.
This economic restriction has banned the entry of huge foreign investments that could have generated livelihood, employment and income opportunities.
Pres. Digong is correct in focusing attention to dismantle the influence of oligarchs. Get rid of the greedy and the tyrants.
Federalism is the ONLY way. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) God bless the Philippines!
