MUCH has already been said about the ongoing controversy hounding the powerful Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), but there is one thing I am sure of about this: the dispute, whatever may have prompted it, will only result in greater strength for the INC, both here and abroad, under the direction of its third Executive Minister, Eduardo V. Manalo. I am also sure that if there is really any problem at all between Mr. Manalo and his mother and his siblings, a resolution acceptable to all of them would, in due time, be ironed out, bringing greater unity and oneness among them. All of them, I know, are too steeped in the teachings of their Church, and more than any personal or any other motivations, their common concern, dream, and aspirations for its work of evangelizing the world with its beliefs will compel them to set aside their differences and work together harmoniously once again. In all these, therefore, I can only say, God bless the INC, and the Manalo Family. •• It is always a pity, as far as I am concerned, when well-meaning, credible, and intellectually proven men and women come together to seek honest-to-goodness and substantial changes for our country and our people and yet miss out on one important if not, the most important element of beneficial change. With due respect, this is what bedevils the establishment of “Bagong Sistema Bagong Pag-asa” (BSBP), a group that seeks to change the form of government of the Philippines from its present presidential style to a federal system. So what if the country’s system of government is changed from presidential to federal, and power is shared by the president with other officials of government, if those who will comprise the new system are the same corrupt and godless and spiritually bankrupt politicians and leaders of government? Surely, a change in government or political system is still going to be useless, and will not really yield any benefit for the greater mass of Filipinos who will continue to wallow in poverty, in dissension, and in failures. And that, with due respect, is what BSBP and its leaders like former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, are surprisingly missing. What do we, as a people, really need to change our present corrupt and plunderous system to an honest, transparent, and effective government? It is for everyone to change their mindset, agreeing not to conform any longer to the patterns of this evil and godless world. We, as a nation, must go back to God, and listen to Him all over again by knowing His commands and His Word, the Bible, and then, obeying His directions that guarantee success and prosperity. The fact is that, in most of our lives as a Filipino nation, many no longer obey God, enabling them to steal, plunder, and abuse, in the positions given them. I am gravely surprised that BSBP and Puno and their other equally illustrious members––former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr., former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., former Budget Secretary Salvador Enriquez Jr. and former UP President Jose Abueva––missed this point. The fact is that Puno, Guingona, Pimentel, Enriquez and Abueva are known not only as honest government officials but as men imbued with godliness and with the Holy Spirit as well. It is therefore unacceptable that in their quest for a better life through substantial changes in the way of life of Filipinos, they seem to have forgotten that real change can come only from a mind and heart reformed by spirituality and godliness. Indeed, our country and our people needed a system change, and long ago yet. But it is not just a change in government, not just a change in who will hold the most power in the political arena, that is needed. It is a change towards listening to God and obeying Him that would benefit us all. The challenge for Puno, et. al., therefore, is bringing back spirituality to Filipinos. •• Lawyer Marlowe Camello, now based in the United States, sent this: “BSBP = Federalism. Assuming the following happens: Create the State of Mindanao, create the State of Bangsamoro. “Create the State of Bohol; create the State of Panay; create the State of Samar; create the State of Leyte; create the State of Luzon; create the State of Cebu; create the State of Palawan; create the State of Jolo; create the State of Basilan; create the State of Etcetera. Then we can have a United Federation of the Philippines. (UFP) “For a while the so-called UFP may be working together. But in the end some of the Federated States for any reason will lag behind in progress and so that state will simply declare its independence to make a better life for its citizens…” Camello continued: “But since, it seems, there is no mechanism suggested to stop government corruption, these states will still be governed by corrupt and untouchable buffalos and its poor people will continue to eat garbage. Then another State will break away and declare its independence. “Eventually the Philippines will end up like the now defunct Soviet Union. We can then have a Republic of Bohol. Then another one, the Republic of Panay, and finally we can have many independent Republics until the entire Philippines will be no more. The trouble with these Republics is that we will need to have visas in each of these Republics when we visit each of them. “To my mind, this so-called federalism idea shall turn into a recipe of disunity, starting with the State of Bangsamoro, now being promoted by PNoy. This practice of breaking away at the instance of greedy politicians and political dynasties had been going for a long time in which one municipality will break away from a mother municipality and turn it into city, or a province being subdivided into several provinces. Now the politicians are thinking even bigger in the form of federalism.” E-mail: batasmauricio@yahoo.com