I ALREADY noted in my previous articles that the full devolution process under PRRD's EO No. 138 to begin in 2022 together with the implementation of Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court ruling granting bigger share to local government units (LGUs) from the national tax collections will increase the budget of LGUs by multifold.
This is a positive national action because this would increase the services of the LGUs and thus enhance local opportunities to stimulate improvement in the quality of life of every Filipino household and spur more social infrastructures and facilities that could greatly improve urban and rural development.
In effect this will democratize local resources and wealth, and so the empowerment of the people.
The assumption for this logic is that the LGUs are run by righteous, well-oriented in governance, committed and competent officials.
The question, however, is how many LGUs are run by righteous, well-oriented in governance, committed and competent officials?
If we take Negros Occidental for example, although I could cite more provinces, the benefits of full devolution and the Mandanas-Garcia thrust are at risk of falling into the hands of the local oligarchs, political dynasties, lord of lords, who are in effective control of a number of LGUs and the local economy.
They are now ganging up on the highly urbanized city (HUC) of Bacolod to impose their oligarchic might.
Everybody knows that only a handful family names ring into the ears of Negrosanon, from both ends of the province to the high end and highly protected subdivisions in the HUC of Bacolod.
They are not only in monopoly of big lands and control most local businesses -- from sugar farms and mills, to wholesaling to retailing services, financial institutions, semi-manufacturing industries, transportation and communication, and even vital public utilities such as water and power -- they are also in public service offices.
Their enormous wealth and resources are their license to often buy their way to power. Those they can't buy they just let loose their armed thugs to get what they want.
With elections 2022 forthcoming, all it takes for them to complete and further expand their control and domination, is to win again more political seats in 2022 to enjoy the full benefits of the two legal landmarks.
At this point, the challenge is clear -- unless the political and economic base of the oligarchs and dynasties are disbanded, and their representatives in the LGUs are booted out or weakened, the intended goals of full devolution thrust are doomed to fail. Worse, it could even be a vehicle to further strengthen oligarchy and political dynasties in the LGUs.
Anti-political dynasty and nepotism legislations with unswerving enforcement by authorities must likewise be undertaken to prevent the oligarchs from fielding kin after kin, or their political dummies and stooges in local political seats.
The Comelec, perceived as the ultimate architect, technician and broker-dealer of votes selling to the highest bidder corrupt politicians must be re-oriented, restructured, re-tooled.
On the other hand, concerned agencies like the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), DILG's BantayKorapsyon Program, Civil Service Commission, Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta) and no less, the organized civil society movements, must conduct massive public comprehensive education and introduce politician's score sheet system to effectively prepare the voters on the evils of oligarchy, political dynasty, nepotism, and other instruments of bureaucratic corruption.
Is the ruling system ready and willing to face the challenge? Or is this proposition a mere "suntok sa buwan?"