Change has yet to be seen from the Duterte administration, former President Fidel V. Ramos said Saturday as he again threw potshots on pronouncements made by the Palace telling the people to “move on” as it decides to tone down the commemoration of the 31st anniversary of the People Power Revolution on Feb. 25.
“If today, many of our people are unhappy or disgruntled, it is simply because they are not seeing those whom we elected to lead us achieve any real reforms toward the betterment of our country and people,” Ramos said in a statement sent to Manila Standard.
Ramos, who earlier berated Duterte for the “fiascos” he continues to commit more than six months into his term, noted the “painfully obvious” lack of coordination among the country’s leaders.
“The lack of hands-on, focused advance to progress along the fast lane by our elected leaders is painfully obvious from the daily headlines—which are full of non-inclusive bickering,” the former President said.
Ramos added that “there continues to be a lack of coordination among President Duterte and his cabinet, and teamwork between P. Du30 and his 103 million (+) teammates who are us, the rest of the Filipino people—but who are not P. Du30’s property.”
Among the “fiascos” committed by the administration, Ramos said, were the summary replacement of the PNP by PDEA in the anti-drug war; the breakdown of GPH-NDFP Peace Talks and the transfer of rogue cops to Mindanao – much to the consternation of ARMM leaders, the mis-earmarking of funds for calamity assistance in Surigao Norte and the mass awarding of Medals of Valor to 42 PNP-SAF victims in Mamasapano, without the observance of established procedures.
Following the Palace’s lack of guidance in the Edsa celebrations and its announcement telling Filipinos to “move on” from merely celebrating the event, Ramos stressed the need “to make sure the “millennials” (at least) know about EDSA-I’s national and international significance.”
“To many, their prevailing memory is not anymore a celebration of triumph but uncaring tokenism. Many leaders and journalists even deride our EDSA commemorations,” Ramos said.
“When Filipinos behave in such manner, we the concerned citizens realize how much more work still needs to be done—to link up Edsa to our libertarian and patriotic traditions. True, many of those happenings did take place before our time, in places we may have never visited,” he added.
But the former leader warned that “the failure to impart the values of transcedent events in our nation-building” to the youth will be “the greatest loss to our posterity.”
“We wish to remind our compatriots to join hands in nation-building, and to offer our salute to those who fought and died for our freedom. By doing so, we commit ourselves as responsible citizens, with pride in our hearts, to work for a better future for all Filipinos,” he added.
The Edsa Revolution led to the ouster of dictator Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino’s ascendance to power.
Duterte is known for his deep affinity with the Marcoses, particularly former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos.
Duterte has credited Imee for supposedly being one of only three governors that supported his presidential bid in 2016.
Amid widespread criticism, Duterte last year made good his campaign promise to allow the dictator’s burial at the Heroes’ Cemetery.
