CHAFF FROM THE GRAIN By HECTOR RONALD ROMERO VILLANUEVA

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” -- John F. Kennedy

Hector R. R. Villanueva President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has opted for populism instead of radical and revolutionary reforms. Lately, the President has admitted that there are fundamental problems that he may not have the time nor the health nor the legislative superiority to accomplish with finality. These problems are either shelved or unfinished business or of multi-year gestation beyond his statutory term of office, such as, Constitutional revision, war against drug trafficking, corruption, SCS territorial dispute, poverty eradication, and “Build, build, build.” At the end of the day, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte may be best remembered for revitalizing Boracay, restoring the death penalty, banning gambling and gaming, and Bureau of Customs overhaul. He will also be remembered for retaining the existing political system and status quo and oligarchy-controlled economy. While there have been positive changes and policy improvements, there has not been, however, any radical transformation of values and nationalist attitude. First, the Filipino people need to decide whether a federal state is the desired political system to adopt, which would be a genuine game changer. With federalism dead in the water and the Constitution remaining pristine and untouched, it is back to square one. Second, the Philippines will remain a Third World country if the population growth and the environment are not seriously addressed and rectified. So far, every administration has taken a lukewarm and evasive attitude towards the population issue and environmental rehabilitation. Moreover, a comprehensive land use law should be enacted and implemented, and idle lands sequestered, if necessary, with due process. Indeed, in a functioning democracy, agrarian reform is not only unnecessary but will also not succeed as experienced in democratic countries such as Britain, the United States, Germany, and France with democratic and capitalist systems. Third, the massive and alarming inflow and “invasion” of Mainland Chinese into the Philippines is viewed purely from the revenue and taxes angle to the exclusion of the moral, political, and patriotic implications which could lead to hostility and animosity towards Chinese influx. To many observers and analysts, President Roderigo Ra Duterte appears to be over-reaching himself with China and Chinses incursion. When all is said and done, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte would rather prefer to remain popular and lionized by the masses, and leave fundamental and cathartic reforms to his successor and future generations. As Goethe stated, “He who seizes the right moment is the right man.” You be the judge.