People of the Philippines vs. Charter Change

There are many strong reasons why the people should rise against the politicians and tell them: Stop using the name of the people to push for your selfish political agenda. Focus on the real problems of poverty, corruption, social injustice, threats to national security, crime, climate change, and preparation of the next major calamity and disaster.

First, there is no need to alter, modify, amend, revise or play dirty political games with our most fundamental law. Any amendment will not attract many investors for as long as corruption continues unabated in all levels of government, from the barangays to the highest echelons of the bureaucracy. Constitutional amendment will not solve the poverty of Filipinos. Cha-Cha will not enhance our national defense of our territories. It will not arrest the deteriorating crime situation and the resurgence of drugs. Cha-Cha is not a panacea to address all the socio-economic and political and cultural maladies.

Second, the whole nation will reap no benefit from any Charter Change (Cha-Cha). Any amendment will have no direct impact on the lives of the masses. They will continue to suffer in unemployment, homelessness, and lack of adequate food, clean water, affordable healthcare, and access to quality education. Cha-Cha will only benefit foreign capitalists who have no care and compassion for the working class. Any change in our fundamental law will only cater to the selfish motives of proponents who may include provisions that exacerbate the monopolies of lands, natural resources, and the control of our economy.

Third, the Philippine government cannot afford the tremendous financial and other costs of implementing a Cha-Cha. The country has an outstanding national debt of no less than ₱14 trillion and if we should borrow again to finance the procedures of Cha-Cha, then our debt to GDP ratio shall continue to deteriorate and that means very bad to our overall economic situation. There is also the more pernicious cost of any Cha-Cha: it will divide our people between those who are for Cha-Cha and those who are against. That political exercise gain shall exacerbate the fragmentation of the Filipinos.

The proposed change is disguised only as economic. The hidden agenda however is really to make our government parliamentary and thus install the House speaker as head of government by anointing him as prime minister, and the president as head of state. The two cousins shall run the whole nation and there shall be no more term limits. That wouldbeworsethandeclaringmartiallaw.Thisnationwillregretitagain. Traposwillhavetheircakesandeatthemtoo.Thepeopleshallcontinueto suffer and the politicians’ hold on power shall become more entrenched.

It is thus vital that we, the people, should stand up and say no to these trapos. If, in the past, we have always been taken for a ride, this time we shall reclaim command of our own lives. Let us expose this grand travesty against the people and reject this treachery against the nation. We should rise as one, united masses of Filipinos who refuse to be made fools again. Let us dump all pro- Cha-Cha in the next polls and elect the truly deserving ones.

Let us reject these trapos who are becoming heavy burdens to the Filipinos. They should go home to where they come from and let the truly righteous and competent lead us all to national deliverance and salvation.