In his column yesterday, Vic Agustin pointed to an ongoing crisis in The International School Manila. A website has even been set up. Now normally, this drama would be of no interest to non-I.S. alumni and parents (and only marginally interesting to the alumni of other international schools, such as myself). But what is interesting is the debate on accountability going on among parents, teachers, and supporters and detractors of the controversial board of the school. Going through the various letters posted on the site, I noticed many echoes of debates going on among Filipinos, particularly those who share the same kind of background (or at least, aspirations of shared values) as the parents and teachers engaged in the fierce debate in the school.
Some letters, in particular, bear reading: a board member’s decision to resign; a parent’s appeal for the board to resign or seek a new mandate; the decision of teachers to engage in collective action; a letter on the implications of “neutraliity” during a controversy; a student disgusted by both sides (among the parents); a parent’s explanation to students as to why there’s trouble going on; an employee discouraged by “divide and conquer” tactics; an attempt at a constructive set of solutions; a student worried over what’s now a two day strike. Perhaps the genesis of it all was a strong speech by the school’s headmaster, who recently ended up unceremoniously expelled from his position. It all sounds strikingly familiar, to my mind, because accountability is always an issue in human institutions -just as politics, and taking sides, is inevitable (see here for the report in today’s newspaper, which highlights how the internet is part of the field of battle; the teachers have decided to extend their mass action by one day).
As the Analects of Confucius says,
Tzû Chang asked Confucius, saying: What are the essentials of good government?” The Master said: Esteem the five excellent, and banish the four evil things; then you will become fit to govern.” Tzû Chang asked: What are the five excellent things?” The Master replied: The wise and good ruler is benevolent without expending treasure; he lays burdens on the people without causing them to grumble; he has desires without being covetous; he is serene without being proud; he is awe-inspiring without being ferocious.” He is benevolent without expending treasure: what does that mean?” The Master replied: He simply follows the course which naturally brings benefit to the people. Is he not thus benevolent without expending treasure? In imposing burdens, he chooses the right time and the right means, and nobody can grumble. His desire is for goodness, and he achieves it; how should he be covetous? The wise and good ruler never allows himself to be negligent, whether he is dealing with many men or with few, with small matters or with great. Is this not serenity without pride? He has his cap and robe properly adjusted, and throws a noble dignity into his looks, so that his gravity inspires onlookers with respect. Is he not thus awe-inspiring without being ferocious?” Tzû Chang then asked: What are the four evil things?” The Master said: Cruelty: “leaving the people in their native ignorance, yet punishing their wrong-doing with death. Oppression: requiring the immediate completion of tasks imposed without previous warning. Ruthlessness: “giving vague orders, and then insisting on punctual fulfillment. Peddling husbandry: “stinginess in conferring the proper rewards on deserving men.
(speaking of Confucius, see this article in an official Chinese newspaper on cultural symbols; and please note this blog is blocked in the People’s Republic of China)
Meanwhile, the Senate is sick of twisting in the wind and yet hopeful the Supreme Court will vindicate it (some House members are gambling on the opposite taking place, or is it merely bravado?).
But all’s not cozy in the House. Rep. Pichay, it seems, is trying to sweeten things by giving incumbents an additional six months in office (here’s an experiment: see the Philippine Star report, and whether it’s still a working link tomorrow). I’ve described Pichay as a Speaker-in-waiting before, and it seems his sweetener might be more delicious to congressmen than what the current House leadership’s proposing:
…the term extension is outlined in House Resolution No. 1285 authored by Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, an administration ally.
The resolution, the report said, appears to have more support in the House than Resolution No. 1230, which was approved by the Committee on Constitutional Amendments on Tuesday.
Based on Pichay’s version, an amended Constitution would call for the election of an interim parliament and local officials. The polls, the resolution said, would be scheduled for the second Monday of November 2007. At present, the Constitution mandates that elections be held on the second Monday of May.
Interim parliament members and local executives elected in November next year would assume office on Jan. 2, 2008, the resolution said. Their terms are scheduled to end on June 30, 2010, which is also the date of expiration of the tenure of President Arroyo and Vice-President Noli de Castro.
Pichay’s measure would add months for the terms of congressmen, governors, mayors and other local officials. It could also possibly extend the terms of 12 senators elected in 2001 by six months, from June 30, 2007, when their terms are to expire, up to the end of next year.
Rep. Teddy Locsin is miffed over Resolution 1230. He says provisions magically reappeared in it:
Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Reform, said the changes were made shortly before the committee passed House Resolution No. 1230 on Tuesday. The resolution proposes the convening of a constituent assembly to amend the Charter…
He said several recommendations that were removed but later restored in the approved version of the resolution include the adjustment of the retirement age of Supreme Court Justices from 70 to 75, the holding of national elections if the planned interim parliament pushes through and removal of the prime minister’s power to acquire foreign loans without permission from the Bangko Sentral Monetary Board.
The thing is, what’s been whispered about for some time finally pops up as a trial balloon: Palace eyes ConCon as an option. I’m not the only one who smells a trap.
Cedulas-on-demand in Nueva Vizcaya, too.
The President: “Guimaras can be great again!” And issues a gag order while she’s at it. Also makes new appointments, including Cerge Remonde to anti-povery commission (as blogged by Banketa Republique weeks ago!)
The President’s husband and in-laws: expel Cayetano. It’s their right to complain (and get cranky), and the House Committee on Ethics is as good a forum as any; let’s hope Cayetano puts up a good defense.
Business ain’t no picnic in Manila, still. 19 firms under observation in Philippine bourse.
Overseas, Tony Blair fighting for his political life (again). In Taiwan, People Power looms in Taipei. In Thailand, Thaksin crisis begins to spill over to the military; and, even if Thaksin wins re-election, could he govern? Again, it seems an alternative universe for Filipinos:
Unless the populace is assured of a free and fair election, Thaksin’s insistence that the next election’s results will put an end to all opposition against him will only stir his critics into invoking British historian John Acton (1834-1902)’s famous quote:
“The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections.”
For Thaksin, surviving the current self-inflicted political turmoil until election day already seems an insurmountable challenge. But more agonising for him is to discover the growing consensus that even if he manages to win big in the upcoming election, he won’t be able to govern this country ever again.
He has, despite his vehement protestations, become the embodiment of that “tyranny of the majority” phenomenon. The stigma has stuck. As a local pundit put it the other day, “The next time Thaksin gives you that civic bull…. about voting, keep in mind that Hitler was elected in a full, free democratic election.”
Brazil, Black power, and affirmative action.
A male heir is born in Tokyo.
In the punditocracy, my columns for this week are Old Philippines and New Philippines. In his column, Conrado de Quiros has some sharp words for businessmen concerned with a shrinking workforce.
The Arab News has an editorial on President Arroyo and everyone else:
The recent war in Lebanon showed just how vulnerable these Filipinos are. Philippine television showed horrific pictures of several maids beaten black and blue by their Lebanese employers when they tried to leave to return home. Two Filipinos even returned home in coffins.
These facts point to twin dilemmas that Arroyo faces: How to reconcile with a wary opposition in order to get important projects done at home, and how to improve the caliber of Filipinos being sent abroad to work so that they will be less vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. The Philippines should aspire to be more of an exporter of scientists and other professionals rather than of maids and drivers. It would of course be better if the Philippines could do without having to export its best and brightest to the Middle East and America. There is already a formidable braindrain of Filipino doctors downgrading themselves to become nurses so that they can get higher paying jobs abroad.
Lito Banayo is quite optimistic about how the 2007 elections will go. I often hear that the country won’t tolerate a rigged election. I’m not so sure anymore. Although what I am increasingly convinced of is that it will be a thoroughly rigged election.
Tony Abaya praises Tony Meloto.
In the blogosphere, Singapore Election Watch on how government statistics aren’t trustworthy anymore. Politics Central points to a poll and views, on the poll: Americans believe 911 more significant than Pearl Harbor.
John Silva takes Justice Isagani Cruz to task:
Did you read that comment about how he takes accusations in good grace and that he does not “…scream and faint like a woman spurned?” Aside from being a sexist swipe at women isn’t that comment so out of context? So Victorian? Women these days dump uncooperative boyfriends, find mates who’d treat them fairly, and take virile and abusive men to court. Fainting women, Isagani, went the way of smelling salts.
village idiot savant is happy officials are starting to pay attention to IT professionals who work from home.
i’m a devil in haste on one’s level of engagement -and one’s compensation, salary-wise.
ExpectoRants on why it’s important to consider the otherwise impractical. Cafe of the Village Nut has an interesting entry on why she keeps a journal (a paper one!) but I can’t figure out how to link to individual entries in her blog…
CAFFiend on Westerners’ humbug.
Help nocturnalangel with her grandmother’s school reunion.
What National Democrats listen to.And j journals just has a funny story.
OK, I like this: new airline strictly for smokers to open.
Technorati Tags: constitution, media, military, people’s initiative, philippines, politics, president
But isn’t ConCon what One Voice is advocating?
john, with four caveats:
1. if there is an authentic clamor for it; and
2. after a suitable, and extended period of public study andf debate; and
3. if it takes place after 2007; and
4. if it will not benefit current incumbents.
that’s clear enough in the OV position paper. The danger otherwise would be a 1971-73 ConCon situation.
Why allow these crooks to determine the fate of the Philippine Nation and be the sole beneficiaries of what they are advocating. This should be stopped. Filipinos should oppose by all the Abueva Constitution that is VERY, VERY DISCRIMINATORY especially by a government that will not (1) provide free and high quality education to ALL Filipinos, (2) learn to make good use of the present Constitution that they make a good excuse for defying it and making their own silly rules, and worst (3) to grant the silly Ale Boba her wish to declare herself queen of the Liliputan nation likely to be called as “Pidalistan” (to quote someone calling himself Nelbar!).”
What a silly ambitious crook suffering from some illusion of grandeur together with the escort who imagines himself as thin and dandy even when he is extremely overweight and looking greedy! 😡
Yuko,
Beside the usual “alalaysâ€Â, Gloria’s European bandwagon will be composed of several members of Congress headed by Sen Miriam Defensor.
On the agenda with Belgian parliamentarians is all about Philippine song and dance show: CHA-CHA, federalism and parliament!
Gloria’s minions will take their cha-cha thrash abroad for discussion and then will go back home with re-cycled garbage!
And MLQ3,
I agree with you that the forthcoming “elections” will be thoroughly rigged.
Gloria CAN NOT AFFORD to lose or she’ll (and her husband by the same token) get it in the neck.
OFWs are discussing in whispers here that they abhor the fact that they are being turned into wallflowers in the proposed cha-cha song and dance show over in Pinas. Unfortunately, the OFW groups here aren’t too vocal about it unlike the Fil-Am groups (Gloria’s threats emanating from Embassy officials are succeeding).
what threats, pray do tell? are embassy personnel abroad applying political pressure on ofws?
re:Quiroz should be informed that when computer programmers were very much in demand in the US (to the point that the INS succumbed to the pressure of Silicon Valley to exempt these professionals from the lengthy accreditation process, China has a university that produced these IT people just to meet this demand to the point that the government endorsed the graduates to be able to get to the USA.
Now, the Chinese au pairs are very much in demand in the US not
because they can speak English better but because they can speak another language. The rich people would not like their children to grow up, monolingual.
We are the only country that equates good education to good English.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2006-01/06/content_509859.htm
What are these complaints about the shrinking workforce in business? The business graduates of the elite schools remain in the country.They don’t migrate.
The professionals who have opportunities to go abroad are the health care professionals.
Yes, the president of the federation of fil associations in France called me to say that there are very few of them who will be joining the rally during Gloria’s visit. He says the reason is that most Pinoy OFWs here who are illegal are being warned very very “cutely” against joining any protest rally or they will be “marked” – his exact word.
Even those who have legal working papers but who have gone to the Embassy to renew their Phil documents are being warned obliquely.
The feeling, according to my friend is that they might be on the black list and might find it difficult to renew their Phil papers or if and when they go back home, they stand to face problems.
There is genuine political pressure but applied with a subtle touch.
A member of the Embassy here whom I know well and spoke to yesterday said, that even they (personnel) are afraid of something and they’ve tended to stay away from Fil gatherings since Ambassador Ortega assumed her post.
What they are afraid of is any amateur sleuth’s guess.
Mlq3,
According to my friend, the OFWs in France would have wanted to raise 2 issues, issues which I find are perfectly reasonable, in the picket line:
1. their right to vote must be unaltered and their opposition to PI: they preper a constitutional assembly
2. the “supermaid” advertising project that Gloria presented to media
I meant constitutional convention…
mlq3,
Is Concon a trap? within a trap we’re already stuck in?
GMA-FVR-JdV’s Cha-cha by which ever way — PI, ConAss, ConCon — is a trap.
The Making of an ILLEGITIMATE CONSTITUTION.
From Chapter 1: “Let’s start the Great Debate … ”
to Chapter X: ” Let’s move on with the ‘Enchanted’ Constitution …”
An illegitimate constitution by an illegitimate president.
Shocked by the conass resolution re-insertions, Teddy Boy Locsin said, “We should appeal to the Armed Forces.”
Call for a CONSTITUTIONAL RESCUE!
A CALL TO ACTION
The People appeal to Our Soldiers for a RENEWAL OF PLEDGE TO UPHOLD AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION.
thanks for the clarifying, Manuel.
I’m finding it difficult once more to post comments in your blog.
I would like to post the following, if you don’t mind:
For those of you who may want to write to Mr Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Union, with whom Gloria is slated to meet (and to discuss, I suspect the gruelling question of graft, corruption, human rights abuse committed in Philippines), so that Mr Barroso could be apprised of the grievances of Filipinos and may take this up during the meeting, you may do so:
– By e-mail: sg-web-president @ ec.europa.eu
– or By post: President José Manuel Barroso,
European Union
1049, Brussels
Belgium
A letter to President Barroso may not cure what ails our nation today but we need allies to put the Arroyos in their place – in the dustbin! Moreover, a letter from Filipinos to President Barroso would help Europe get acquainted with the Philippines because to most Europeans, the Philippines is still very much an unknown quantity.
Thank you very much.
sus,
when you are in the rally abroad, they do not get your names.
illegal immigrants don’t join associations.they’re invisible as far as embassy is concerned. legal migrants recognize partisan politically motivated rallies.
Even in SF, rallies do not prosper because of strict rules for
demos that affect car and people’s traffic.
hindi naman kagaya diyan na marami bayaran.
are you pulling my leg?
Why should anybody pull your leg?
Bakit sakang ka ba?
Mlq3,
Thanks for the posting and apologies for the double entry.
Mlq3,
Could I post the following link please:
“Stop the killings in the Philippines!” campaign. Solidarity groups, human rights advocates and trade union activists are defending in this campaign their Philippine colleagues’ right to life. More information at http://www.stopthekillings.be
Thanks, Mlq3.
cat said…
“Even in SF, rallies do not prosper because of strict rules for
demos that affect car and people’s traffic.”
I think Fil-Ams a less motivated in politics. Look at cities /towns with many Filipinos….SF Bayarea especially Daly City; other places such as Vallejo, Sacramento,San Diego in the west; VA Beach, Norfolk, Charleston and North Charleston in the east, few Filipinos are active even in local politics, very few aspire to be elected officials.Even Yeba Villegas did not attempt to be in politics while he was there in the BayArea.
I don’t know the reasons. However, even my friends who were active in Collegian, in Recto, in Mendiola, in Plaza Miranda…they said they are already tired of politics. Maybe they are already getting old and nearing retirement. There maybe many reasons, I am not really sure what those reasons are.
You can see them in many cultural gatherings, many will have photo ops with Jun Polistico in Las Vegas,in reunions of colleges and high schools, family and hometown pot lucks. They have occ. medical missions in the Philipines and may organize foundations for their hometown improvement. Fil-Am politicians….very few.
Sus,
your post impresses that the Filipinos abroad are so enthusiastic to join in your activities but are pressured not to participate by the embassy personnel. hahahaha
Filipinos abroad would rather spend their time building a fortune or bringing up a family rather than be used by people who have political agenda, pros or cons.
Have you attended a rally here?. Sus, alam mo kaagad ang kulay. Same ideology, na matagal ng patay sa China. Yon namang mga partisan, walang kakagat because the people here cannot be intimidated nor can be bought.
Filipinos are active in local politics for your info.
The candidates for mayoralty position in Milpitas where Silicon Valleyis are two Filams. The current mayor is a Filam.
Mike Guingona, the mayor of Daly City is a Filipino. So was the mayor of Carson City.
There are Filipino candidates in SF for supervisor and other govenrment positions but the Chinese candidates are supported by
the Chinese “Mafia”. Just a day ago, a newspaper published an award received by a former covicted Chinese gang leader from the City of SF initiated by an elected Chinese supervisor.
Try meeting Alice Bulos and her group and you will see how politically active the Filipinos are.
Repeat: “…there are very few of them who will be joining the rally during Gloria’s visit.”
But if you join, perhaps, more might join!
By the way, Pinoy-OFWs in this part of the world are perhaps not as affluent as you folks in the US. The majority of Pinoys here are domestic helpers who have more to lose than you Fil-Am folks, and so feel intimidated easily.
The two political issues that most OFWs feel concerned about here are: their right to vote which they feel might be waylaid by the proposed charter change/PI and their preference for a Constitutional Convention, and the “supermaid” image that Malacanang seems to be hell bent on creating for them which most find quite disheartening.
They are not quite the high-level, highly partisan issues that you speak about. That’s why I say they are very reasonable. They would have liked to put up a semblance of a rally if only to catch the attention of Gloria. However, it seems many, no matter how strongly they feel about the issues, are not willing to rally because they say, they don’t want to be “black-listed.”
by cat…
“Have you attended a rally here?. Sus, alam mo kaagad ang kulay. Same ideology, na matagal ng patay sa China.”
if you are referring to the “reds”, i concur, it has been dead, for a loooooooooong time. i don’t think anyone is advocating for this anymore. for sure no one will listen, much more will follow that person.
it has never been an issue even in mendiola ang plaza miranda. the issue then was makoy and martial law. nothing about the reds. the reds are just decoys.
the issue now is different, the bottom line is about corruption and legitimacy, all the other things going on are just peripheral sissues to divert people’s attention.
so cat, why won’t you join your kababayan? ohhhh, we understand, you are also busy building a fortune. good luck my friend.
never an issue there and here? ow they still bring placards about imperialism when they find an issue to ride on.
wala diyan? just look at the moro-moro and drama sa kalye. You think they are not funded by the org. with red flags.
It would be nice if OFW domestic helpers have the time to be active in pinoy political issues. The truth of the matter is that they don’t have the time to do so. The more senior ones don’t even know what cha-cha is about. So friggin what, they might say. The current system of gov’t doesn’t work for them anyway.
As far as supermaids go, the more aggressive ones feel at a loss for not having the training to be typed as so. Afteral, it may command better wages for them.
For most, if not all of OFWs, it’s all about making a buck for totoy’s pam matrikula or for fixing the leaking roof of that old house or maybe, paying the mortgage of a recently purchased house in Antipolo. Not that they don’t care about what’s going on back home. They just care more about providing for their family needs. They are here to work to support their families and that’s what they’ll do. The hell with gloria and the opposition. They don’t do squat for their family.
In addition, their political sentiments are the same as the sentiments of their family back home. If their family there are for gloria, they will vote for gloria also.
Black-listing is not an issue. Even if it were true, these people simply can’t afford the time.
I guess you are right Realistic.
OFW domestic helpers here perhaps, do have a lot more to lose than Fil-Ams. It is true that they are also afraid to be “black-listed” (whatever that means because I personally believe they have a right to join rallies if they think they ought to); I was told personally by some people that they feel intimidated about expressing their thoughts on political issues – they’ve been chided often enough about becoming “too political”, i.e., “O kayo diyan, huwag na lang kayong masyadong maingay! Ang dami na ng problema ninyo, dadagdagan pa ninyo!”, etc. were apparently said to a small group of people by a member of the embassy during a Sunday gathering; you will be surprised that OFWs here do feel strongly about issues at home and speak about them during the Sunday gatherings.
The Fil associations in France seem to have become the more politically oriented and organized among the Fil associations in the Schengen nations as a result of the backlash they suffered in the hands of Ambassador Rosario Manalo; they also have keen and good leaders. I know some of their leaders whom I meet quite often.
Also, they were among the ones here in Europe who openly supported Gloria right after the toppling of Estrada and showed their support en masse when she came to visit. So they feel all the more strongly about the two issues I mentioned above, which to me, are rather reasonable and not over-ambitious. However, as you say, they have their own personal aspirations to fulfill for folks back home and would rather not cross swords with whoever is in a position of authority at the Embassy, besides of course, the time that an overt pôlitical activity would require of them is not really conducive to take on the said activity.
The issues that you mentioned seems to be a valid issue. So bakit pa idadaan sa rally? THos can easilly be tackled in a dialogue or a meeting, or any gathering with Q&A portion.
I can easily relate to Cat with regards to Pinoy Orgs that organizes rallies here in the US. Becuase I was brought by a freind 4 months ago Phil Forum ( or was that center) Office in Queens, NY. I am suppose to volunteer to teach compuetr classes. I was introduced to the leader of teh group and they showed me their library were the computer classes are being held. But when I check the book on their shelves, 90% of the books communist or leftist related book and some of them I even read before when I was a radical in college. So i ask my freind so who are funding these people who pay for the rent and other utilities. And my freind explained to me that the funds are coming from politicians….
Then they invited me to attend rallies….
I decided later to just use my extra for something else and never went back to that place…
On the predictions that the 2007 election will be so rigged. MMMMMMM…….. di ganyan naman lagi ang eleksyon sa Pinas eh….
Our election system is realy defective and in effective. And I believe the effective reaction to Garci scandal and rest of election related issue that was brought should have been more on fixing the election system. My impression was that it was so focused on Gloria. Well I am not saying that Glorioa should not be prosecuted for violations that she had committed, as a matter of fact I am pro impeachment. I just feel that we wasted so much product of a faulty system than on fixing the problem of the system.
rego,
i honestly believe that our election system is well and working. how complicated can this get: people cast their vote, and then counted. now if only our politicians honor this procedure, there would be no problem. alas, someone messed up with it. so this is where all the brouhaha about accountability comes in. gma messed up with it, let her answer for it. ang pamamaraan ng eleksyon ay hindi depektibo, ang may depektibo ay yaong may makakating kamay kung kaya dapat itong itawid.
ituwid. sori.
pero sana tingnan mo rin, induduro, yung angulo na yung paraan ng pagbibilang ng boto ay manual. so napakalaki ng tsansa na madaya ang eleksyon. kung computerized yan na katulad ng dito sa Amerika na alam na kaagad ang resulta in 24 hrs, malaking mababawas na panhon para doon sa mga gustong mandaya.
Gloria alleged cheating was already a done deal, teh best thing that we coudl do about it is to realy realy try hard that she gets prosecuted and punished for it. But then the next election is just about to happen. I hope we would use all the learnings from the past elections especially the most recent one to really improved the coming election. I hope we dont just stop there and be pessimistic. Lets confront all our paranoia and even use it to make the next election a better one.
Ano ba naman ang problema ninyo. Tama si iniduro, okay ang election system natin. Sa sistemang yan, kasama ang botante at ang binoboto. Okay silang pareho kaya nga nakaupo si ate glo. Sabi ng iba broken dahil may mga garci at abalos who are part of the current system, pero ang totoo diyan e they did and are doing the best they can. Hehehe.
The fact of the matter is, sa panahon ni ate glo, everything can be legalized. All need be done is for our congressmen, tongressman ang sabi ng kalaban, to legaislate what is illegal, legal. NUmbers game, di ba?
Yang PI for cha-cha, malatip ng ma enabling law. Legal na! Handa na rin si abalos. Chop-chop, parlamentari na! Sabi nga e legalize na pagnanakaw at pandaraya. Salungat sa isip ng iba, Di sangayon si ate glo diyan. Ano ba, e privilage lang ng nasa pwesto ang mga yan.
Big MIKE – Go BACK to San Francisco – The Philippines is BETTER OFF without you …. Request lang isama mo na si Ate GLO !!! Mga PUNYETA !!!
Kung kayo tin lang ang magiging KONGRESSMAN ko … BIBILI Na lang ako ng ASO … – FPJ
Idol FPJ !!! My president
JDV should realize that He’s UNWANTED by the Filipinos, isn’t the DIFFERENCE in VOTE against ERAP enough proof that TRAPOS like is a LOSER !!! IPILIT pa kasi ang CHA CHA – To PROLONG their STAY !!! – We don’t NEED a CHANGE in the system – But a CHANGE in LEADERSHIP – Someone we can TRUST – with unquestioned LEGITIMACY !!! Someone BELIEVABLE !!!
Where are the REAL Statesmen ? Are these the LEGACY being left by our present leaders – A damage INSTITUTION ? A constitution which can be ALTERED undemocratically !!!
I like Juan Makabayan’s comments…I guess it’s time:
“A CALL TO ACTION
The People appeal to Our Soldiers for a RENEWAL OF PLEDGE TO UPHOLD AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION.”