Youth and the sad reality

Butch Bagabuyo

“If youth but knew, and age were able, then poverty would be fable.” – Proverbs

 “In youth we learn; in age we understand” – Marie Ebner -Eschenbach

OUR national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, inspired us to rally behind the youth for being the hope of our country. But dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos demonized our youth by making them lust for power and gold under the tutelage of the trapos. On the pretext of empowering the youth, the late dictator and overstaying president taught and exposed our youth then to all the evils of power via gold, guns and what have you. Consequently, the youth became his ally at the expense of free, clean, honest, transparent and credible elections.

But because God is good at the time–when the conjugal dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos ably consolidated all the powers through gold and guns, People Power came to be. And all the oppressed, the deprived and the abused all over the world held our dear country in high esteem. And the peaceful revolution took to task all forms of tyranny against the teeming millions of the poor, the deprived and the oppressed.

But that was long ago.

The sad reality is that the changes in leadership in our own country were not complemented by change of heart, mind and virtues. Instead of revisiting and inculcating the virtues of faith, hope and love, greed slowly but surely crept into our youth and made them live recklessly in rueful age and indefinite immaturity. Unless we immediately change our worn out 1987 Constitution and adopt a parliamentary federal form of governance, history will repeat itself on May 9, 2016.

Right now, we and our country are in dire need of Divine Providence. The culture of impunity spawned by debilitating greed has excruciatingly made the poor, the deprived and the oppressed wallow in the quagmire of poverty even as the rich are getting richer by the day. Surely, those in power want status quo and more. But unless we, the teeming millions of the poor, the deprived and the oppressed, fall on our knees and pray in unison that God, in His infinite wisdom, anoint our man, Davao Mayor Rodrigo “Super Digong” Duterte as the next President of our country, the independent Federal Republic of Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi-Tawi shall be installed on May 9, 2016 with Duterte as our first President. Fear not, self-determination is not only provided for in the United Nations Charter. It is also the inalienable right of the sovereign, and the teeming millions of the poor, the deprived and the oppressed Pinoys are and ought to be the rulers of our dear country.

Duterte pa more!

 Tsada di ba?

• •

“Whom the gods love die young no matter how long they live.” – Elbert Hubard ( 1856-1915), American author

Irrespective of who is the rightful mayor of our city, be it the dismissed transition and hambuguero Mayor Oscar Moreno or Vice Mayor and now City Mayor Ian Acenas (not acting?), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), being the sole implementing agency of the Order of the Ombudsman owes it to the the Kagay-anons to make sure that basic services are rendered uninterruptedly. Otherwise, chaos and anarchy will reign in our city, thanks to our failed 1987 Constitution.

Here is my take:

If I were the newly installed city mayor, not just acting city mayor depending on how I took my oath of office, my first order would have been to restore with gusto peace and order at city hall and its surroundings. I would have immediately commanded the city police force led by my counsel to remove all padlocks in the entrance and exit of the government building where the Office of the City Mayor is located, physically, if need be, remove from the dismissed Mayor Moreno and all his men, women, and the LGBTs. Simultaneously, I would forthwith make arrests, file contempt and other criminal cases against the dismissed transition Mayor Moreno,  Glenn Banez, and others.

Could it be that dismissed, hambuguero and transition Mayor Moreno thought in vain that by being allied with the Liberal Party, the Ombudsman, an independent body, would close her eyes at the glaring anomalies, such as the Ajinomoto case?

In view of the latest chaotic developments in our city, Kagay-anons cannot help but shout in unison:

• It is not enough that the Ombudsman is given the power to issue an Order of Dismissal; the order must be immediately executory and forthwith implemented by the police force of the city (not the DILG) under pain of contempt if the Order is not immediately and effectively performed within 24 hours from receipt thereof irrespective of time and date.
• The Dismissal Order must include the immediate installation of the successor pursuant to law, under pain of contempt if not properly implemented and made effective within 24 hours from receipt irrespective of time and date.
• The Ombudsman and/or the Court of Appeals should be made to act within 24 hours on any motion for reconsideration and/or pleading with a prayer for a TRO (not a Status Quo Ante Order as the same has to be heard within 24 hours from receipt thereof irrespective of time and date).
• Padlocking of entrances and/or exits as well as removal of documents of whatever nature should merit immediate arrests and the filing of criminal, civil/administrative offenses.
• The Dismissal Order ought to be simultaneously issued to the concerned police force, in this case, the City Police Department under pain of contempt if not implemented within 24 hours from receipt thereof irrespective of time and date.