SONA 2008

On the 28th of July, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will, for the 7th time, address the joint session of Congress to make her “State of the Nation Address” or SONA. Pulse Asia has come out that only ONE out of ten believes in the truthfulness of her SONA. This “unbelief” or skepticism invites all and sundry to take a serious or a hard look at the realities confronting the nation. There are actually three possible responses to the scheduled SONA. The first is to simply ignore it. It is a show of indifference and apathy that the greater majority of the Filipino people have become through the long years of GMA Presidency. This “cynicism” has crept in beginning with the “implosion” of GMA’s credibility and “loss” of her moral authority to govern due to the infamous “Hello Garci” tapes. The Filipino people has already decided that the SONA is yet another lie - a practice in self delusion projecting a world of fantasy or of fancy! To them, GMA’s SONA and the whole Congress included are simply non-event, at best and completely irrelevant, at worst! They are already inured to the vagaries and immorality of government thus they prefer to continue doing their things - ecking a livelihood that would give them a better chance to leave this country and work abroad. The second group is the people you will find in the “protest movement”. The “protesters” will mount yet another mammoth rally both in Makati and Commonwealth Avenue. The various sectors that compose this group will unfold another SONA that is exactly opposite to the one that GMA will deliver at the opening of Congress. Some of you like me are active participants in this protest movement. Being veteran of the mass movements for years, it amazes me that after months of protesting in the streets, we are still in the process of finding common thread that would unite us in a common agenda. The protesters’ SONA would be as diverse as the groups that compose this very disparate movement. They compete for platform for the causes that range from government transparency to “GMA Resign” to the “Ouster of GMA” and the entire Government. Out there in the streets, it has been an exercise in patience and endurance to identify the differing colors in this so-called “rainbow mass movement”. Suffice to say that almost a third of this group remains the “Erap crowd”. The clamor of this group is “ibalik si Erap” or “Erap in 2010”. Some people will claim that this is a “paid” group. But paid or loyalists is a label that is irrelevant in the Filipino-style politics characterized by money, power and religions. In the final analysis, the really important thing is the fact that the group can easily command a crowd from 30,000 to 100,000 live bodies to march in any street in Metro Manila. Erap and his crowd now bask on the “alleged” admission by the Catholic Church on the “wrongness” of the support given to EDSA 2 that led to his “illegal” ouster and rise of the “illegitimate” GMA Presidency. The “Hello Garci” scandal in the 2004 National Elections has only exacerbated the already “questionaable” legitimacy issue of GMA Presidency. Notwithstanding the decision of the Supreme Court that Erap had effectively resigned as President of the Republic, the issue of legitimacy has continued to hound the GMA Presidency and by implication the legitimacy of her SONA from day one. The other third of this movement belongs to the “Progressive” or the “Democratic” Left. How progressive or democratic the left is, is yet another issue or rather irrelevant to our present discourse. The “Democratic Left” is the politically correct label after the 1989 collapse of the Berlin Wall. In the Philippines, however, the 1989 historic event hardly makes a difference when it comes to political “alignment” that continues to separate the “committed” along ideological divides. Both the “ideologues” and many of the Catholic Church’s mainstream “eminences” and “excellencies” continue to see the Philippine struggle from the “unmoving” and archaic ideological perspective. The mainstream Catholic Church remains wary of the “causes” espoused by the so called “Democratic Left” and anytime they will readily embrace GMA and serve as GMA “acolytes” in her project to wipe the “Left” by 2010 with or without the “rule of law”. Against the backdrop of “GMA-CBCP Tango”, there is a marginal strain within the Church that contests the status quo. For one, the Association of the Major Religious Superiors of both Men and Women and few members of the Philippine Hierarchy have, rightly or wrongly, “distance” themselves from the mainstream politics of the majority churchmen. For the religious, it is “normal” to find them in the “protest movements” since their “liminal” or prophetic call demands so. Definitely, the presence of the institutional church in the protest movements is a refreshing sight! It fascinates me no end to see the “purpled” Monsignori in rallies and marches. The likes of Archbishop Oscar Cruz (Lingayen-Dagupan), Archbishops Angel Lagdameo (Jaro), Bishops Deogracias Iniguez (Caloocan City), Antonio Tobias (Novaliches), Teodoro Bacani, and Bishop Navarra (Bacolod) are welcome sight that gives the young hope and faith in the Church. The most fascinating of this type is the old man Bishop Julio Labayen who in his 80’s is still full of fire and zeal in solidarity with the struggle of the poor. He epitomizes that prophetic strand in the Church in season and out of season. While the clarion call of the Democratic Left has moved from GMA Resign to GMA Ouster, the alternative that they offer is, yet unclear. This ambiguity and “acceptability” issue of the “Left” in a largely conservative Philippine society, particularly the “ubiquitous” Catholic Church, makes the viability of the Democratic Left as an alternative still remote. While certain voices of the Left are now heard in mainstream politics, they are outnumbered, underfunded and often harassed in all fronts – from arrests to arbitrary killings and involuntary disappearances of their leaders and supporters, especially in the countryside. The other third is the group of people who considered themselves as “moderates” yet completely revolted by the immorality (mainly referring to election cheatings), arrogance power and blatant corruption of GMA and her government. With the Private Sector and former Government Senior Officials, they continue to call for greater transparency and accountability in government. It originally launched the call for GMA resign and would prefer a sort of “constitutional” transition even taking the “bitter” pill of a “Noli Presidency” during the transition. But the call never galvanized into a political “tsunami” that would topple GMA. The group has become even more frustrated by the seeming apathy of the Filipino people vis-à-vis the issues raised against GMA. With all the SONA’s to be delivered on the 28th of July, the bottom line is the real issue is the “evil” associated with GMA. I believe that her primary sin is her destruction of democratic institutions and utter disregard for the principle of check and balances in government. Money politics, payolas and power have defined, rightly or wrongly, the once upon time revered democratic institutions like the Congress of the Philippines, COMELEC, Government Departments and bureaucracies, Constitutional Commissions, Civil Service, Military & Police, the Justice System and institutions like the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and other Churches’ Councils through innuendos of payolas, donations and direct support to diocesan programs like values education and interreligious dialogue. Second Sin is crystallized in the slogan: “Moderate your Greed”. The scandal of the NBN deal, North and South Rail Projects, Airports and Seaports Projects are few examples that speak of massive graft and corruption in government in unbelievable magnitude. It is money politics at its height. Everyone has a price and everyone can be bought! The third is the tragic exodus of Filipinos overseas, particularly of our young people. The government has not offered any vision for the present and the future. The nation’s youth look outward for employment and their future. This “exodus” and “look outward” are indicators NOT of a “Strong Republic” but a classic “Failed State”. A week ago, while attending the BBC General Assembly, a prominent business man of Makati struck me with his analysis of the Philippine realities. In our group, he said that the Philippines is facing an almost perfect storm. Political Crisis, Food Crisis, Energy Crisis, and next that will hit us, perhaps, is Monetary Crisis. The Philippine Government, with such low social capital, low credibility, and extremely low approval rating, cannot face this fast approaching perfect storm. As is…, the government will, definitely, list and sink ala the ill fated MV Princess of the Stars of the Sulpicio Lines. There are no if’s and but’s, we are confronting a situation of emergency. GMA to survive will, in time, also demand for emergency powers to be able to “govern”. This kind of reading is now gaining currency. For this reason, talks, conspiracy and alliances are afoot giving rise to yet two major trajectories. The first is GMA trajectory, that is, GMA with emergency powers without ruling out martial law; and the second trajectory is the ouster GMA and her government and pave for a transitional arrangement with plenary powers that will restore first the democratic institutions, then write a new charter and return to normalcy after elections. Whatever our politics are (the Erap strand, the GMA strand, the Left Strand or the more moderate strand) will matter little when the full storm hit us. Draconian measures will be demanded for survival and the questions that we need to resolve or be reconciled with is the issue of GMA with martial law powers or a Transition Government without GMA. The former will be done through money politics while the latter will be accomplished through extra-constitutional way. Each one has to make a choice. If we have decided not struggle, the many and contradictory SONA’s are clear indicators that it is time to abandon ship in order to survive! I do not blame the many Filipinos that have taken that way. If I were in their shoes and still young, unless, I am willing to fight… I, too, will scamper for a “life jacket”, abandon ship and live!