Saturday, June 24, 2006

one voice

What do we do when someone is yelling at the top of his voice that which you would spend a lifetime opposing? And so we find our little experiment in democracy in such a state, one side clamoring for a Change in Charter, one camp advocating greater Social Responsibility. While the difference we may debate as semantic, it is the concern of every citizen to discern and digest both its significance.

Many times many the Proponents of Charter Change have hailed it as the answer to the myriad pressing concerns of our Republic. While I have written many times over that there is indeed a need to amend, or to rewrite the Constituion, to be more abstract, to be more dynamic, to be more flexible with the hope it becomes a framework for a better republic, such endeavor must never be rushed simply in t he name of expediency. rather, with the goal of achieving a more perfect Republic. The proponents of Charter Change through People's Initiative fall short of this. Their proposal does in no way address the future needs of this ship of state. Through admirable how they use words of such sweet sounding promises, one can suspect their motive is to ensure the status quo our Oligarchy has built remain, and to advance the prospect of this nation only when it becomes convenient for the few.

Today our Republic faces many trials, sadly, the least of our priority is the pressing need to deliver age old promises to uplife the lives of our people. In our Nation's capital, we trail the world in the use of technology, in keeping pace with the world--- and though we blaze at the fastest broadband speed, in our far flung barangays, they still have the pressing need for lcean water, for electricity--- the basic trappings of the 21st century. at the same given moment, our democracy faces many challenges--- least of which are the trails the Presidency and the question of our elections face.

A lesser race will be dishearted by such prospects, yet what better way than to use our trials as a rally point and steer this ship in the right direction?

The proposal by One Voice is such that it gives us a clear cut view of where to go--- and not simply promises in the wind. One Voice calls for the following: 1. Discontinuance of the present “people’s initiative”; 2. A social reform program now; 3. Elections in 2007 as scheduled, as an indirect referendum, and electoral reform now; 4. If necessary, a constitutional convention (not a “con-ass”) after the 2007 elections, and 5. A collective effort to rebuild the trustworthiness of our democratic institutions. Their position paper may be found here.

Between the idea of a People's Initiative and One Voice, I find One Voice's advocacy, to be reasonable, straightforward, honest, includes every Filipino and answers the complicated question of our present political dilemma and brings us back into sanity and steers this ship into the right direction.

This Republic has faced many trials, and many challenges. The greatest of which is to ensure that every Filipino has every opportunity to be better a person. And it has been our Crime that many of our countrymen remain trapped in the past while the rest of the world flies through the technological marvel of the 21st century. By bringing into focus the needs of the people above all, only than can this Republic hope to even make the aspirations, dreams and hopes of our people come alive. It is perhaps time we start talking and acting in One Voice.

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