Saturday, August 16, 2008 Carvajal: Five premises By Orlando P. Carvajal Break Point
ONE. At this point in time when the moral bankruptcy of public servants is at its nadir, I can readily agree with those who premise that for the most part it does not matter much what system of government is in force. Morally degenerate public servants will use any system to pursue their own selfish ends.
Two. Nevertheless, one must accept as a valid premise also that certain systems of government are more developmental than others just like democracy is obviously more developmental than a dictatorship. Corollary to this, within a basically democratic framework, some political structures are less prone to centralized control and the ensuing bureaucratic incompetence and corruption.
Three. Federalism is one such political structure within a democratic framework that is developmental if only because it diffuses the over-centralized power of the ruling elite. It is definitely a step towards the liberation of the regions from the neo-colonial rule of imperial Manila. It promotes the creativity and resourcefulness of regions in the solution of their problems as opposed to the present immobilizing grip on regions by the central government.
Four. Our history of underdevelopment, however, has sufficiently proven that Congress and the presidency are there not so much to serve people as to protect their own interests like their businesses or their family’s political dynasty. The best way, of course, for them to accomplish this is to preserve the politico-economic status quo or, if concessionary changes have to be made to appease the angry crowd, to guarantee that those structural changes are designed in a way that would enable them to keep effective control of the country’s wealth and power.
Five. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the federalism the Senate and the House are thinking about (which the President supports) will never be the federalism that would empower Filipinos politically and economically. It will not be the type of federalism that would take away from Congress’ awesome power of control over the rest of the country. If at all, it will further cement its control over the country’s politics and economics.
The plan to introduce federalism through a constituent assembly proves my last point. Congress, acting as constituent assembly, will expediently craft a federal system of government that is not federal at all. Or if it is anywhere close to federal, it will never get implemented just like the constitutional ban on political dynasties.
I am for federalism but only through a constitutional convention representing all sectors of society. I just cannot imagine Congress clipping its political wings by introducing (hence it will not) a genuine federal system of government.
