THANKING the Lord for more than seven decades of living in a world we did not create will not complete the faith without a glimpse of the state of the nation in the year just past as well as the prospects for 2021.
To preclude the impression of the being subjective, the review must adhere to the parameters envisioned in the Preamble of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which states: "We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society and establish a government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony and to secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality and peace..." In a republican democracy such as ours, the task to achieve the afore-stated aspiration is assigned to a duly constituted government which is composed of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches.
Firstly, did the government during the year under review discharge its bounden duty to cause the conservation and development of our nation's rich natural resources and ensure that the fruits thereof are equitably enjoyed by all Filipinos? The millions of Filipino families trespassing along esteros and sleeping on side-walks in unconscionable contrast to the luxurious residences and extravagant lifestyle of the few provide the answer. Indeed, Presidents Ferdie and Apung Dadong must be churning in their resting place as the haciendas they dismantled is now in the hands of a new generation of landlords.
For another, is the rule of law conscientiously observed in the dispensation of justice so that the God-given rights to life, liberty, and property be truly enjoyed? Again, the unexplained death of not a few compatriots; the harassment on the right to peaceably assemble to express grievances supply the answer. In fine, the year 2021 pointed out the painful truth that Filipinos have been steadily becoming less equal, less free, less tranquil, and less the master of their fate.
Thus, the challenge for 2021 is to reverse this drift to worsening social and economic inequality, devaluing civil liberties and worsening peace and order. This will require a fundamental redirection of our public affairs, one that will restore the vigor and integrity of our political institution. For one, the elitist concentration of income and wealth must be challenged by alternative approaches through community/workers-owned and operated enterprises to democratize our commonwealth and benefit all the citizenry.
In Newark, New Jersey, for instance, a "non-profit neighborhood corporation employs two thousand people and manage housing and helps run a supermarket and other businesses that funnel profits back into health care, job creation, education and other community service." This joint community/workers enterprise must be replicated in our jurisdiction if only to achieve genuine democracy, equality and liberty.
The Philippine constitution is zealously guarded with checks and balances to forestall a concentration of power within the national government that will prevent public functionaries from abusing their position for self-aggrandizement. For the basic purpose of government in a free society is to protect the lives, liberty and property of its citizens. This means that government has the duty: (a) to bring crime under effective control and (b) to pursue political and economic policies that will empower the citizenry to utilize their full potentials towards the attainment of an egalitarian society-one that truly democratize the benefits of our nation's commonwealth. The key towards the realization of this aspiration as enshrined in the Preamble of our Constitution is the supremacy of the rule of law and eternal vigilance.
Someone has written: "There used to be the Great Unwatched, free people conducting their private lives; now they are under close surveillance by hundreds of hidden Cameras." Anyhow, that is the price we must be ready to pay in this era of unbridled technology so long as the rule of law is faithfully adhered to. At the very least when this happens, the enforcement of the law is carried out for the glory and benefit of the true employer: the sovereign Filipino people.