CHAFF FROM THE GRAIN

“Hunger knows no friend but its feeder.” – Aristophanes

There is too much reckless talk of a revolutionary government which cannot happen as the ingredients of revolution are not present.

There is no critical mass and no credible leader.

However, a military-initiated coup d’etat or a hybrid junta is plausible which the hungry masses will support if the elite are willing to turn reformers.

Initially, it will be necessary to padlock Congress, and abolish the Senate as symbolic of regime change.

By the same token, the Parisian masses used the partly abandoned and poorly defended Bastille fortress as symbolic of the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789.

Later on, Congress can be reconstituted as a unicameral assembly with the Senate as a ceremonial and treaty-making body, composed of distinguished jurists, outstanding women, retired diplomats, brilliant lawyers, scholars, engineers, and leading businessmen named to the body of appointment.

To expedite reforms and industrial progress, it is also plausible that there will be inevitably curtailment of liberty and abuse of power if the reformers shall go off the rails.

However, looking forward, and assuming the emergence of a strong, erudite, and benign leader, reforms can be accelerated and a comfortable life achieved as President Rodrigo Roa Duterte had been hoping for.

First, at the risk of being repetitive, the Philippines needs to enact and implement a serious and sound population policy that will slow down population growth commensurate with the existing resources of the country.

However, like Singapore and South Korea, which are lacking in natural resources, human power can be mobilized and harnessed, provided the industrial tools and reverse engineering are made available.

That is, not to be totally import dependent.

Second, there are certain reforms that are urgently needed and necessary.

Among the reforms are the review, revision, and updating of the Constitution vis-à-vis parliamentary shift, term limits, restrictive economic provisions, the restoration of the death penalty, liberalization of foreign investments, and land ownership.

It is during these extraordinary times and pandemic conditions that structural reforms of the economy, ethical behavior, decadent political system, and corruption should be the uppermost in the reform agenda.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has all the sincere and noble intentions but alas is running out of time.

The next leader has many things to learn from the achievements and mistakes of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

You be the judge.