November 11, 2017 (Saturday) Carmen N. Pedrosa
Why? We voted for change and we will not achieve it unless we do it effectively in the shortest possible time. The previous Aquino government, its allies in Congress, oligarchs and the corrupt bureaucracy are determined to return.
Revgov is the short name for changing our society and government. That is what we voted for when we elected Davao City Mayor Duterte,
If it takes longer to achieve the change to transform our presidential unitary government to parliamentary federal, we will be back to square one. We fought hard to make Duterte president because he alone had a program of constitutional change.
We did it democratically through elections and a crowd of a million people who came to Luneta of May 7, 2016 to achieve that wish. But the victory for change is being ignored by the establishment. We face enemies, some members of the elite and those who have held power since the Americans colonized us and possessed the country.
The longer we keep the old system running from day to day, the 2016 election victory of Digong will be useless. It is like a habit that needs to be broken or we are stuck. We will not only not go forward, our country will go backward and eventually be destroyed.
We had an election and voted overwhelmingly for Digong to bring about change. But it is being stopped by the very same groups that do not want change. That is why we need Revgov.
The battle for Revgov is represented by two groups Tapang at Malasakit and Tindig Pilipinas. Tapang and Malasakit is for change while Tinding Pilipinas is for no change. We can see clearly what each stands for and must make our choice.
The Tapang at Malasakit has joined forces with the Dutertista groups which actively campaigned for Duterte to become president. Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of the President said “the event is for the Filipino people.”
On the other hand Tindig Pilipinas of Aquino yellow allies was organized before Senator Antonio Trillanes’ met with Republican US Senator Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American known for meddling in reformist countries.
Tapang at Malasakit came dressed in red to signify tapang (bravery). Their candidate won with a margin of six million votes enough to offset any Smartmatic-PCOS attempt to cheat in the counting of the votes. But the group will not limit itself to symphatizers of the Duterte government. It will also call on “all Filipinos to work together for our country,” Mayor Sara said.
On the other hand, Trillanes of the yellow crowd (yellow is often associated with cowardice) was in a meeting with US officials primarily with Republican US Senator Marco Rubio on the ‘protection of human rights’ in the country’s war on drugs.
The more important topic was on the alliance between US and the Philippines. In my opinion this is the bigger reason why Trillanes had a meeting with Rubio.
It is well-known that “human rights” is a tool used by American operatives when they want regime change in a given country. The biggest “fault” of Duterte was to frustrate Obama’s so called pivot to Asia when he declared Philippine independence on its foreign policy.
Our task as citizens is to protect our country’s well-being and not be dependent on our former colonizers as the Aquino regime had been. We have to convince Duterte that he needs Revgov to do this and punish those who mismanaged the country and destroyed its institutions.
The millions who voted for Duterte in the last elections want change, not the superficial change that comes with flawed elections of candidates for their self-serving interests for years. A real change is needed and if Revgov is the way to achieve it, it should be done or we would be back to old politics of how the elite has captured government for their vested interests.
Concerned Filipinos put down the choice to be made between the election of a man who would push for change and the defeated Aquino opposition out to block the change.
Ma. Lourdes Tiquia, a much read blogger who would otherwise not be read in mainstream media says “the grant of provisionary powers to an incumbent leader is extraordinary. It means that everything has failed, hence the necessity of a revolutionary government. It is being prepositioned as that state in between unitary (the present form of government) and federal (the end goal of a constitutional revision).
An online survey was in fact done by the proponents from the period October 8-9, 2017. The question asked was “whether the public agrees to grant provisional extraordinary powers for Rodrigo Duterte?” The results are as follows: “83 percent in favor RevGov, or an increase from 71 percent in the previous survey on the same question done in August 2017. If OFW international response were to be included in the analysis, 97 percent agrees.” The survey “uses random sampling nationwide in a social media environment of 30 million Facebook users accessing in all major cities and social classes.” The survey link results were posted in Facebook.
It is time for Duterte to tackle the structural reforms for change.
That will be the task of RevGov.
Maharlika blog lists some of Duterte’s achievements in the first year of his term as the president of the Philippines:
1. PH external debt sheds $5.2B as of June 2017.
2. Highest PSEi closed at all-time high 8,312.93
3. Crime rate in Manila drops by 38% for the past 12 months.
4. Duterte’s Political Will costs: 6B from Lucio Tan, 1.7B w/o Tax from Mile Long Property and 25B from Mighty Cigarettes
5. Free tuition in SUCs
6. Free internet in public places
7. Passport validity extension to ten years
8. Driver’s license validity extension to five years
9. Stiffer penalties for hospitals refusing to treat patients
10. The indefinite ceasefire between the MNLF, MILF, CPP NDF and the government (held in Norway)
11. The centralised complaint and action hotlines – 911 and 8888
12. The one stop shop for OFW in POEA which is way better than before
13. The removal of processing fee on travel tax exemption
14. The 2,000 pesos SSS pension raise
15. The much empowered servicemen who are now willing to serve the country with pride and higher self esteem
16. The servicemen’s one in a million dinner at Malacanang opportunity
17. The rounds in all of the defense camps to see what each station needs so that they can give better service to the country. (Duterte reforms to be continued)
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