Systematic change or revolt?

Butch Bagabuyo

“Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw (1856- 1950) Anglo-Irish playwright, critic

EVERYBODY, except PNoy, Imperial Manila, the trapos and the filthy rich know that unless we change our outdated elitist 1987 Constitution, passionately hard-hitting  journalists and human rights advocates will have a short stint with dear life and all that our leaders would do is to preen on the wide screen and utter a litany of noise or lip service for pogi points, but all at the expense of the victims’ family and loved ones.

“Systemic change” is, to my humble and uncomplicated mind, the ultimate legacy awaiting Mindanao’s topmost leaders.

Imperial Manila knows only too well that no amount of noise including, I repeat,  the declaration by the Supreme Court of the unconstitutionality of the PDAF, DAP and the Malampaya fund could change the embedded corrupt system of procedure in our Constitution.

But why is imperial Manila deaf-mute to “systemic change?”

Debilitating greed is the shortest yet truest answer to the national problem. The “elitists” who crowd the snakepit -Malacanang and the Congress know by heart and soul that what President Aquino has been saying in public that there is no need to change the Constitution is farthest from the truth. And, in fact, the graft-tainted Congress is salivating at the thought of constitutional assembly on the pretext of changing only the archaic and constrictive economic provisions in the Cory constitution.

But at the same time, they fear that the sovereign Pinoys might just do away with them altogether and use People Power to change the one-sided elitists’ equilibrium where only the rich and powerful rule the country like their very own property, and treat us, the sovereign, as their tenants, if not downright slaves, instead of their true master.

In short, only a “systemic change” can unify our countrymen towards social, political and economic advancement.  But if imperial Manila insists on ignoring the plight of the poor, the deprived and the overly oppressed Mindanaoans, as they have willfully done in the past and continuing to this day, now we can turn to and pronto to our God-given right to “self-determination” as guaranteed by the United Nations and the ICJ (International Court of Justice) of the same United Nations.

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“The measure of man’s real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.” – Lord Macaulya (1800-1859) English historian

Now that we have a strongman of integrity, dedication and love for Mindanaons (Mayor Rodrigo “Super Digong” Duterte),  and the living legends in integrity, statesmanship and love of God (former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, former Governor and Assemblyman Homobono “Bono” Adaza, and former Mayor and Assemblyman Reuben “Ben” Canoy), we can say now we have all that it takes to be a sovereign state not unlike Singapore and the Switzerland.

Undoubtedly, these two countries are much smaller in land area and peoplem and yet they sit well on top of the world. They are up there despite lack of natural resources and size only because they possess the political will to institutionalize and implement the kind of system in governance, where the sovereign is truly represented in governance, unlike in our country where only the rich and powerful run our government a-foul, courtesy of our elitist constitution.

In the words of Duterte, “I am not a saint but how can one remain clean if you have a system where one needs billions of pesos to win and then you have to satisfy the insatiable greed of those whose support you need to be in power? If you don’t know this, then you are either naïve or you don’t know what you’re talking about… With due respects, I do not wish or dream – nor am I even qualified – to be president of this country, the way some sectors are now suggesting. This system is shot. There is no way we can redeem it unless we radically change things.”

According to Jess Dureza, the good city mayor Duterte (his nemesis in politics only) concluded his speech with a challenge to his visibly awed listeners to have a group of Mindanaoans “to get together and redeem ourselves and go for changes in the system. Then and only then can you count on me in”!

So, there is the strong challenge from a brave, fearless leader!

To be makulit, what shall it be?

Constitutional Convention simultaneously with the elections on May 9, 2016 ? Or the Independent Federal States of Mindanao, an armed neutral country of religious pluralism and equality between capital and labor, where profits and losses are equally shared by labor and capital. After all, both capital and labor equally need each other. Useless is capital without labor, vice versa?

This is what we, Mindanaoans, have all been dreaming of for a lifetime. Is it not?

Tsada di ba?

 (Call or text 09188030197, email to bagabuyos@yahoo.com, and check out iluvmindanao.org.com)