Consumers Domain
By Ian Seruelo

What do we do now?

“We must learn to welcome and not to fear the voices of dissent. We must dare to think about "unthinkable things" because when things become unthinkable, thinking stops and action becomes mindless.”

—James W. Fulbright

Now what? What direction are we to take? Which path do we support so the people end up as the real winners in this crisis griping the country today? With the several options put forth, which banner are we going to stand under?

Before we go into answering the questions above I would like to share my views on several issues that were raised in the interesting exchange I had with my UP high school batchmates in our e-group. It is really wonderful to get to know the views and opinions of your friends and share your thoughts on such important issues. (Well, thanks to the internet!)

Actually the article featured previously in this column (entitled “The Truth?!”) was part of and inspired by the same exchange in our e-group. Let me now share with you some other points we discussed.

Issue 1: Who really won in the 2004 presidential elections? It was Gloria who actually won and that cheating was not that massive.

My views: About who REALLY won in the last presidential elections, nobody can definitely answer, given how elections in this country are conducted. Cheating has become more of a norm than an exception. And I mean its not only Gloria and her party who cheated, but all other political parties as well. I would like to underscore however that Gloria's use of billions of government resources for her campaign constitute the most appalling and anomalous cheating of all.

Further, the main issue at hand is not who really won in the elections. It is the issue of massive cheating, of betraying of public trust and the depth of corruption in the country. Yes we know it's been around for quite some time but now that we have evidence against this fraud trapo system and a confession at that, what is the proper and progressive thing to do? We just can't turn a blind eye on this for if we will let this pass, then this will be a dangerous precedent.

Issue 2: People who march in the street or rallyists represent a small minority.

My views: Saying that the rallyists (or people with the same view) represent a small minority is unfounded. It is wrong to assert that all those who are not joining the rallies oppose the advocacies of the “rallyist”. Say, when a group hold protest rallies to repeal automatic appropriations for debt payments and demand for higher government spending for education and health services, I think most will not oppose those calls.

Further, we all have benefited from these “rallyist” in the first place, such as the 8-hour labor work, overtime pay and other labor standards (a product of the worker's rallies) and the end of Marcos' dictatorship.

Issue 3: Gloria is a populist and wants to please everybody. In the process she easily bows down to the demand of the rallyists. This also results in stalling policies or programs that are meant to solve the country's economic crisis like her hand in the stopping of implementation of the eVAT.

My views: Is Gloria indeed a populist? I think definitely not. Is spending more than 50% to 60% of the country's budget to debt payments populist? Is reducing the budget for health care, housing, education populist? Is turning over power and water services to the private sector populist? Is trying to please the creditors and financial institutions (IMF-WB-ADB) and increasing taxes populist?

In fact, the new eVAT was passed despite massive demonstrations and advocacy work in congress because of Gloria's and her allies' un-populist stance. While it's true that the stay order in the eVAT implementation can be traced back to Malacañang, this is NOT because she was ‘populist” or because her heart bleeds for the poor. But clearly she did it because she wanted to save her ass! She is not keen on pleasing the oppositors of eVAT, she is keen on saving herself! Yes, it's the signature style of a self-serving trapo! She simply wants to delay its implementation just after she survives the current storm.

Now, regarding the financial crisis, will the new eVAT address the real problem? Looking into the hard figures such as the government budget vis-à-vis revenue and spending, what should be addressed is the debt problem (now P6 Trillion). In 2004, 82% of government revenues went to debt servicing, and it will be 95% this 2005! So even if we increase taxes every quarter, the root of the problem will never be solved as our resources are drained to the servicing of our debts – a big portion of it fraudulently acquired, behest loans that never benefited the Filipinos.

The sad fact is our government never has the political will to confront the real problems and easily bows to the pressure of creditors and financial institutions -- so we swallow all what IMF, WB, ADB, and the US are prescribing, so we may please them, so we may have good credit standing, so we may continue to borrow again to pay our debts and so the cycle goes on and on.

These bolster the fact that Gloria is not populist for her policies are not the demands of the people or those marching in the streets but a result of its subscription to neo-liberal profit-driven economics as prescribed by creditors.

Issue 4: Filipinos are lazy in the first place that is why there is so much poverty despite many poverty-alleviation projects of the government. There seems to be no way out for our country.

My views: Looking at historical data of government allocation and spending, it clearly shows that there were not enough resources spent to social and economic services. While I agree that there are Filipinos who are lazy just like in any other nation (rich and poor countries), the problem is mainly on the political, economic and cultural structures of the country.

Remember that majority of the Filipinos are workers who run the factories and offices, professionals who perform services, etc. etc. We can't say that they are lazy because they are the very reason why the economy survives, not to mention the vendors who comprise the underground economy plus our OFWs. The reality is, the function of opportunities for the people is one key issue our problem. In education for example, who can afford to have their children finish up to college? And if they can manage to graduate, can the economy accommodate them?

Its a complex issue actually and I agree that there has got to be changes in the individual Filipinos themselves (which we can't blame them fully because we have to acknowledge that they were a product of this system, this society, this culture in the first place)…while at the same time we struggle for changes in governance and reforms in the system.

Its not correct that we change the individuals first then let us just wait for changes in society, in governance, in the system, that we hope will only follow. It's not also correct that we struggle to change the system, but at the individual level we don't change the manifestation of this rotten system in our lives and outlook. This system (political, economic, cultural, etc.) and all the individuals who are part of it is one living whole thus the struggle to change both the individuals and the system as a whole should be a process and should go together.

Issue 5: Now, what do we do?

My views: Yes, we got to start somewhere. While we continue to educate ourselves and live our lives, I believe that we should be part of this continuous effort in whatever way to educate and empower more Filipinos by involving them (including us of course) in the struggle for these aspirations, keeping the hope and quest for a better society alive.

Let us go back to the questions posed in the beginning of this article. Now, we are confronted with several alternatives: A De Castro succession (either through Gloria's resignation or impeachment); a snap elections; the Ramos' 10-month transition scheme; the transition council proposed by Bayan groups with the opposition; and the transition revolutionary government proposed by Laban ng Masa.

A De Castro assumption to office will simply be a repeat of EDSA 2. The people were practically betrayed as it only changed the face in Malacañang – Erap out, Gloria in. Surely this will not be meaningful, as De Castro will simply pursue the same anti-poor policies and trapo politics of Gloria. Let us bear in mind that De Castro is also tainted as he benefited from the massive cheating that catapulted Gloria to power.

Holding a snap election will not usher in real reforms too, as well as the Ramos' 10-month transition scheme. The Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) is right in saying that “this scheme is but an ill-disguised attempt to save an elite presidency and secure positions of leverage for himself (Ramos) and his military henchmen in a power-sharing deal with Arroyo and LAKAS-CMD politicians.”

The transition council being cooked up by Bayan with the trapos in the opposition cannot be trusted too. Remember that it was these same groups that supported Gloria's succession to Erap in the struggle to oust the latter, pretending as if they don't know Gloria enough. These groups have been known to play with the other faction of the elite to pursue Joma Sison's distorted aims at the expense of the people.

Now let's go to the Laban ng Masa proposal. Laban ng Masa is a broad popular movement of progressive political blocs, people's organizations, NGOs, and individual social activists that have united as an independent counterpole movement for the ouster of Gloria, an end to elitist rule, and establishment of a transitional revolutionary government (TRG).

Laban ng Masa was, by the way, launched last June 2005 in U.P. Diliman in a gathering of more than a thousand people representing 105 organizations from various sectors and progressive political tendencies, with former UP President Dr. Francisco Nemenzo as its chair. Other prominent individual members of this movement are Prof. Randy David, Reyes, Prof. Walden Bello, Ms. Maitet Diokno-Pascual and FDC National President Princess Nemenzo.

The TRG will “work for genuine changes, solidly founded on democratic and nationalist principles, and representing the long-unheeded interests of the Filipino people. The main task of the TRG is to pave the way for the effective transition from elite rule to genuine democracy, which is going to be done through far-reaching political, electoral and economic reforms before the conduct of a fresh new elections.”

This column believes that Laban ng Masa, composed of patriotic and dedicated groups and individuals, presents a democratic, comprehensive and a very promising alternative. This column will be discussing more on these options in the next issues (that is, if there will be no other important subjects that will come up).

(For comments and reactions send SMS to 0919-348-6337 or email to ianseruelo@yahoo.com.)