Failed autonomy not a good base for federalism

Manny Valdehuesa

THE persistent failure of local autonomy—despite the enactment of the Local Government Code over a quarter of a century ago—is a bad starting point for establishing a federal system of government.

If you can’t manage even your small barangay, can you manage a region or a state composed of hundreds of barangays? The proponents of a federal system say “Yes, you can.” They’re not looking at the failed record of autonomy or self-governance in our society and political system.

They are being cavalier about their advocacy, failing to consider that any change in the political system should be premised or clearly anchored upon the establishment of a truly democratic order—i.e. sensitive to the popular will, with an uncompromising adherence to the Rule of Law. Otherwise, there is great likelihood of destabilizing society, creating unrest, and courting upheaval.

Instead of implementing the laws and practices meant to institutionalize or induce autonomy, vested interests are always looking for way to instill oligarchic practices and structures that perpetuate their hold on power.

Something is very wrong about our politics and no one is doing anything about it except exploit its weakness, perpetuating bad governance. Don’t the trapos worry that more and more people are exasperated by their shenanigans, while playing at governance on all levels?

Who is to blame for all the misgovernance and persistent corruption and incompetence? What can be done? Who should be doing it? And who is responsible for fixing the dysfunctional system?

These questions have been asked and debated time and again but instead of forthright answers we get prolix observations and abstruse explanations that lead to, they say, a simple task really: Just rewrite the Constitution and change the system! They’re not concerned with such questions as they focus on getting into or staying in power so they can milk the system  and exploit its weaknesses—for self, family, or interest group.

Meanwhile, the upper structure of our republic—Asia’s first and oldest—is overcrowded and unsteady like a skyscraper with a wobbly foundation. The presidency sways to and fro, hanging on precariously as it gets more obsessed a drug problem—which is a public health issue—as it tries to solve it with a military solution. The Congress is a Babel of posturing demagogues who treat the people like the supporting cast of a teledrama produced, acted, and directed by themselves—in the process, freely ad-libbing, stealing scenes, or changing the script to suit their vanity.

Elsewhere acts of government are being performed where they shouldn’t be performed, or done by officials who shouldn’t be doing them. National and local officials freely cross jurisdictions. Congressmen wheel and deal to sponsor local projects and infrastructure and distribute patronage instead of focus on legislation. Governors grandstand in the barrios instead work closely with municipal governments to energize their jurisdiction. Mayors suck up to the president and congress begging for funds even as they neglect the idle assets, native talents, and unique crafts of their localities.

Even barangay chairmen have their gimmicks, serving as errand boys and girls for political bosses instead of work with their constituents or tend to their neighborhoods. For their part, city or municipal councilors jockey for assignments from the mayor—vying to have their names plastered on billboards alongside his—instead of look after the interests community by passing good ordinances and ensuring that the executive does an honest job. They seem unaware that they legislative branch is a separate, co-equal balancing counterpart of the executive.

At upper echelons, officials seem unaware that in going over the heads of local officials they cause instability in the political structure. Their thoughtless behavior discourages autonomy and makes local governments irresponsible. Those who persist on using patronage politics, for example, encourage dependency and render useless the executives and development councils at every level that should be doing the identification, prioritization, and supervision of local projects.

By arrogating such local tasks and responsibilities to themselves, not only do they weaken selfeliance, they overload their own operational capacity, making themselves and their offices and staff inefficient and under-productive.

This tangle of officials crossing lines across jurisdictions, going over, under, or around the heads of others is causing anarchy, chaos, and failure of development all around. Unless the different sectors of the polity and the bureaucracy understand their respective roles in the system and behave accordingly, there will be no end to societal discord and persistent attempts at destabilization. The federal system is not a panacea for political and social problems.

Even governments need to act with a sense of propriety!

(Manny Valehuesa is former Unesco regional director for Asia-Pacific; secretary-general, Southeast Asia Publishers Association; director, development academy of Philippines; member, Philippine Mission to the UN; vice chair of the Local Government Academy; and national chairman/convenor of Gising Barangay Movement Inc.. E-mail: valdehuesa@gmail.com)