“The challenge now for the Chief Executive is to assess what he has done in the past three years and determine which policies and actions have worked and not worked”
WE ENTER a new year filled with high expectations: that the nation will enjoy political stability underpinned by a regime of law and order; reap the benefits of sustained economic growth and better living conditions for ordinary Filipinos; and strengthen social concord to unite our people behind a clear vision of peace and prosperity in the years ahead.
Easily the single most important political event this year will be the May midterm elections.
This political exercise gives the nation the opportunity to choose who among the candidates for national positions—senators and party-list groups—and local positions, including provincial governors, vice governors, city and town mayors and vice mayors, Sangguniang Bayan at various local levels—deserve to be given the mandate by the people to hold public office.
The Commission on Elections will supervise the holding of clean and honest elections throughout the country. They will be supported by the Philippine National Police and the armed forces to ensure that both the election campaign, voting day and the immediate post-election period where the votes will be counted and the winners proclaimed will be generally peaceful and orderly.
Free and fair, as well as peaceful elections, after all, are a hallmark of a working democracy.
What authorities should guard against is the use of private armed groups by politicians intent on imposing their will on the electorate through intimidation and brute force.
Related to this is the dominance of political dynasties in certain regions and provinces.
The 1987 Constitution has an explicit prohibition on political dynasties to allow equal access to opportunities for public service, except that the framers of the fundamental law left it to Congress to pass an enabling law.
That is the fatal flaw of that specific provision, as lawmakers belonging to political dynasties are not likely to give up their positions of power and influence, if not pelf and privilege, and would want to stay in power for as long as they can.
The political dynasties with little to show in terms of good performance and concrete achievements while in public office are likely to resort to underhanded means, including the use of private armed groups, so they can protect their political and economic interests.
We fully support efforts by some sectors who are saying the Constitutional prohibition on politic al dynasties is “self-executing” and does not really need congressional action to make it work.
Another significant milestone this year is that on June 30, President Marcos Jr. reaches the half-way mark of his six-year term.
The challenge now for the Chief Executive is to assess what he has done in the past three years and determine which policies and actions have worked and not worked.
In the political sphere, Marcos Jr. has to deftly manage the breakdown of the UniTeam or the rift with the Duterte political dynasty to consolidate his political base and prevent the Davao-based political family from recovering lost political ground.
If the findings of the recent Quad Comm hearings lead to the indictment of former president Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity on the basis of RA 9851 and this reinforces the ongoing probe of the Hague-based International Criminal Court or ICC for the same offense, then this would significantly clip the wings of what the Quad Comm has described as the former president’s “criminal enterprise” and adversely affect even Sara Duterte’s fond wish to take over the presidency by any means necessary.
In the economic sphere, the administration should focus on attaining food security and taming inflation, since prices of most basic commodities have gone through the roof.
It is disturbing that even before the year ended, the Agriculture Department had warned of a ‘food emergency’ amid rising prices of rice, our staple food.
It is in the foreign policy front, in particular the West Philippine Sea issue, that the Marcos Jr. administration faces immense pressure from the Chinese side that has consistently attacked our victory in the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration as baseless and unfounded.
We should continue to build on our growing alliance with friendly nations, such as Japan, Australia and the European Union that have also opposed the bullying and intimidation of our Coast Guard and fisherfolk by the Chinese Coast Guard and their maritime militia to assert our claim over our exclusive economic zone based on the UN Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)
