Velez: RevGov without the people

Velez: RevGov without the people

THAT call for "RevGov" from the Duterte allies reminded me that this week was the anniversaries of the Cry of Pugad Lawin on August 23 and Cry of Balintawak on August 26. Those were dates that sparked the Revolution for the founding of our republic.

This cry from the movers for "revolutionary government" and federalism did not need us to tear up cedulas or FM passes, but our sanity affected by the pandemic is getting more torn to pieces.

The last time the country had a "revolutionary government" was post Edsa-1986, after ousting the Marcos dictatorship, and Corazon Aquino needed a clean slate and a constitution that ensures no more dictators and no more trampling of rights will happen.

While our country and governance is far from successful, the call for federalism is disconnected to what we are facing now. The people are crying for good sound medical solutions to help us and the frontliners amid the pandemic, and for good governance to help everyone survive.

This current call for "RevGov" and Federalism do not have that broad support despite the "popularity" of the president. The last time this "RevGov" tried to mobilize rallies was way back in 2017 which failed.

Federalism was a promise made by Duterte in 2016 to empower local political families in Mindanao. In 2018, a draft charter change for federalism was delivered to Congress, but was rejected. It did not help either that the "pepe-dede-ralismo" gimmick from a Mocha Uson groupie was like a chop to the crotch.

And now they are back again, crying "Federalism." But no one is listening.

Because what the people are crying now amidst this pandemic is to find Jobs, food, better health service and support to frontliners, better internet signal are what they need. People need good governance, but it is ironic that this group, composed of mayors, councilors and the likes of Diño who is a DILG undersecretary, seem out of touch to our needs.

And compare these failings of the national government to the kind of leadership displayed by some mayors, by the progressive Makabayan bloc, or even the Vice President, you can see who are hands-on and responsive to the economic, social and health needs of the people.

And Joma Sison, the revolutionary of our times, point out it's ironic to hear the Duterte allies toying with the word "revolution" "to put up a counterrevolutionary government headed by the vilest counter revolutionary." Sison hints that this "unwittingly, reveal and stress (Duterte's) growing physical and mental feebleness and inutility".

Let us remember that a revolution needs the people to succeed. RevGov is not that revolution we want. And this government needs to heed the people or else their failings will spark the movement that they are long afraid of.

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