Mission possible
IF elections were held this time, we would most probably witness an epic PDP-Laban victory — it is the President’s party, the ruling party that dominates Congress and local government units, the party in control of taxpayer money, the party that controls the military and police, the party supported by the oligarchs, the party that worships Marcos and eager to sign a deal with them, and the party of the most aggressive misinformers and disinformers.
If a “revolutionary government” were proclaimed and the Constitution set aside, these are the same advantages going for the Duterte regime, and the same forces that would support the fascist dictatorship.
But situations change. Duterte is in fact already committing mistakes by shedding all commitments (or pretensions) to be a champion of profound change. He has instead championed the most backward sections of the ruling elite — Big Landlords and Big Business — and packed his government with pro-oligarch economists and pro-American militarists. He has shut the door to peace negotiations that seek to address the root causes of armed conflict; instead, he has instead chosen all-out war.
To avert being stopped or being held accountable for his offenses, Duterte has seen it fit to set into motion the impeachment of the Chief Justice. The process is panning out as I write this, with the House committee throwing out her fundamental right to counsel, and the right of representatives to participate in the proceedings. The Ombudsman would be next, according to the pro-Duterte VACC. Duterte himself is leading the effort to demonize the CHR and the UN human rights mechanisms.
The classic response is to pray and expect that the problems would either solve themselves or that God would send a savior to redeem the nation. Some intelligent people expect intelligent solutions to stupid problems to just materialize and get implemented on their own, without any effort.
Since this is a weekend, and we want a light read, let me offer this alternative view. Not only is Duterte committing one mistake after another. He is emboldening the people to mount a most fierce and most fabulous resistance.
The situation is fertile ground for Filipinos to prepare adequately for 2019 and beyond. We may see political parties reinvented or new ones formed. The old parties are called to repent to regain people’s trust, while grassroots-based movements gear for political battles in what could be the best preparation for the 2019 electoral contest.
There is no one stepping us right now from building a united front that would be the machinery to elect 12 new senators who are anti-Duterte, anti-extrajudicial killings, anti-tyranny, pro-human rights, and pro-reform. It pays to prepare, and to challenge the pro-Duterte juggernaut that has aimed to catapult Mocha Uson from assistant secretary to senator.
Vice President Leni Robredo has a role to play in this endeavor. Duterte and his minions have sided with defeated candidate Bongbong Marcos and may be angling to grab her position under a “revolutionary government.” More than that, the people look up to her to be a foil to Duterte, a role she had promised to take on during the campaign. It is up to Robredo to expand her coalition beyond the small and weak Liberal Party, to reform it, and to help forge a principled alliance with other political movements.
The Duterte regime is weakest every time we raise outstanding issues that show its inability to govern and to serve. I’m referring to mass protests by farmers, workers, youth, national minorities, the urban poor, and other sectors. Their demonstrations accuse Duterte of being an anti-people tyrant who has no new solutions to our woes, and whose policies are fundamentally no different from past presidents.
Bayan’s organizations and Makabayan’s partylist representatives, other progressive members of Congress and local officials, the survivors of the Marawi war, the families of victims of extrajudicial killings, the Lumad communities fighting military occupation, veterans of the anti-Marcos struggle, commuters and jeepney drivers: We have lots going for us too, and which should make it obvious why the Duterte regime has taken steps to use LRAD and fascistic means to crush street protests.
The alliances Movement against Tyranny and Tindig Pilipinas could find common ground, like opposing the killings, holding the regime accountable, and thwarting any moves to foist a dictatorship. People would welcome the sight of them inviting everyone to parallel, coordinated, and ultimately joint actions in the coming days, weeks, or months.
We cannot wait for 2018 to start our 2019 campaign. There may be no elections at all in 2019 if Duterte manages to sneak in a “revolutionary government.” And considering the avalanche of incompetence and tyranny under Duterte, we cannot merely look at elections as the solution. We need to stop the killings. We need to compel government to fix mass transport. We need to stop a “tax reform” bill that raises taxes for all. We need to fight the attacks on institutions of accountability, and to make the justice system work for us.
If or when Duterte imposes a reign of terror, we have lots of past and present-day heroes to look up to and to follow. If Duterte would manage to crush the aboveground movements, he would only bolster the recruitment for the underground, which is said to be ready to accept us in all regions of the country.
Social change has never been easy. But if we look at ourselves and our people as the motive force for change, build a strong people’s movement, develop new leaders, offer alternative programs to Duterte’s, challenge false beliefs on political idolatry, and learn history’s lessons — we can do extraordinary things. The lightest of which would be defeating Duterte and Mocha Uson.