How to respond to the political crisis
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:56:00 04/05/2008
Are you outraged by the “suppression” of truth in the Senate investigation of the aborted $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) deal? Do you feel confused and powerless about the political crisis triggered by allegations that the ZTE-NBN deal was attended by massive corruption? Do you distrust the country’s political leaders and institutions?
The Jesuits in the Philippines have come up with guidelines for communal discernment and action to help people, especially the youth, who seek to respond in hopeful action to the crisis rather than succumb to the temptations of despair.
Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, the Commission on Social Apostolate of the Jesuits said: “All serious and upright human conduct is hope and action.” The article featured here is the condensed version of the guidelines the Jesuits issued on Easter Sunday, March 23.
MANILA, Philippines—The ZTE-NBN controversy has once again raised questions about abuse of power and systemic corruption in the administration of President Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA). This is the most recent manifestation of a worrisome pattern of behavior in government, of anomaly and coverup, leading to the weakening of democratic institutions for the sake of short-term political survival.
Many Filipinos are outraged by what appears to be a deliberate suppression of truth and the refusal of the government to be made accountable. Many feel confused and powerless. Distrust of political leaders and institutions has deepened. And some members of the economic and political elite, out of pragmatic considerations, have adopted a “wait-and-see” position, failing to provide leadership. These include potential presidential candidates in 2010.
While there is anger and despair, there are also possibilities for bringing about much-needed changes in Philippine political institutions and culture.
Diversity of responses
In the present crisis, there is a diversity of views and even division among people, across and within sectors. The range of political positions among those who have responded represents a continuum covering essential differences across groups, while at the same time recognizing real overlaps.
“The economy is good. Let’s move on.” GMA and her allies insist that the growing economy is undermined by “political noise” created by “partisan” groups seeking only to unseat the President. The country must move on and let the administration rule until 2010. Likewise, there are those who believe that given the alternatives, the President represents the lesser evil, so they do not support moves to hold the government accountable.
“All politicians are corrupt. Let’s focus on jobs, services and the poor.” Some business associations, socio-civic organizations and faith-based groups are highly cynical of national politics and do not see it as the avenue for meaningful change. They concentrate on job creation and service delivery, which they believe to have more long-term impact.
“Let the 2010 elections resolve the crisis.” Strict rule-of-law advocates hold that GMA legitimately won the 2004 elections, despite impeachable questions of cheating. They support pursuing truth and accountability through constitutional mechanisms, even as they believe that the crisis can only be eventually resolved through the 2010 elections.
“Bring out the truth, hold GMA accountable, and work for reform.” Faith-based and civil society organizations for “truth, accountability and reform,” emphasize concrete measures like resolving the issue of executive privilege, calling for an independent counsel, pushing for possible impeachment and advocating reforms, as constructive ways for citizen-participation in building institutions.
“No real reform is possible under GMA.” Some prominent individuals and groups for truth, accountability and reform, also emphasize the precondition of holding the President directly accountable for undermining institutions. They believe that the administration should step down and that a succession should hew as much as possible to the Constitution.
“Oust GMA.” Various groups from the Left and the Right of the political spectrum are tactically allied to oust the Arroyo administration, even through extra-constitutional means (e.g., “people power,” military withdrawal of support, a Cabinet coup, or some combination thereof). They do not agree on who or what should assume power after the ouster. Groups on the Left also demand long-term structural reform, beyond merely replacing GMA.
Non-negotiable principles
Given these and other options, some non-negotiables for responsible communal discernment and action are:
Uphold the truth. Truth, especially regarding graft and corruption, cannot be sacrificed in the name of stability. Stability with unresolved issues tends to be shallow, as the credibility and capacity of institutions are weakened and corruption cases surface again and again, reinforcing a culture of impunity.
Exact accountability. Government must be accountable to the people for all its actions, at all times. Exacting accountability should not take place only at election time, as democracy is a continuing process of citizen participation. Nevertheless, elections are still a core mechanism of accountability, in which public confidence must also be rebuilt.
Pursue meaningful reforms. Even in situations of crisis, efforts at electoral, bureaucratic and social reform should not cease because many of the country’s problems are structural and institutional.
Build and strengthen democratic institutions. Due process, civilian supremacy, and checks and balances are some of the democratic institutions that need strengthening. While Philippine democracy is still flawed, the genuine gains from dismantling the dictatorship should not be lost. The alternatives (e.g. military junta, civilian-military authoritarian regime, communist government) are more unstable and potentially harmful. Strong institutions also address the need for credible mechanisms to resolve societal conflict.
Promote responsible and engaged citizenship. Moral outrage must also lead to a serious consideration of consequences in the medium and long term. Hopefully, such responsible citizenship will lead to the transformation of the present culture of one-sided dependency on leaders.
Champion active nonviolence and protect human rights. Action must be guided by active nonviolence and respect for human and civil rights. Any coercive means is unacceptable, including forms of harassment, detention without due process and policies that seriously undermine basic freedoms.
Prioritize the poor. The poor should take highest priority. If many Filipinos seem uninvolved, it is primarily because of an overriding concern for economic survival. Corruption has made the lot of the poor worse. Programs from both government and the private sector to address poverty and inequality should be supported.
Engage and involve the youth. All activities should involve the youth and harness their energies for sustainable reforms and institution building.
Analysis of options
Given these principles, the different positions and options are now reviewed to help respond to the ZTE-NBN scandal and the broader political crisis:
“There is no problem with GMA.”
Business as usual, status quo. Not holding the administration accountable in any way is unacceptable. “Those who govern have the obligation to answer to the governed” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 409), particularly since the nature of corruption allegations in this case is so serious.
“GMA is not the main problem.”
Give up on politics. The exhausted, the cynical and the apathetic, who hold this position, view all politicians as being equally self-interested. None of them focuses on GMA as the problem. They disengage from all politics, contributing to a sense of paralysis, forgetting that participation in the social and political realms is a duty to be fulfilled (Compendium, 189).
Focus on the delivery of services to the grassroots. The preferential option for the poor necessitates the delivery of services to the grassroots, regardless of who is in power. Opting to concentrate on this is commendable. However, this form of participation will always be constrained by large-scale abuse on the national political level. Thus, all citizens must also work toward the eradication of political corruption.
“How does one address the GMA problem?”
Call on GMA to resign. Many have been calling for her resignation since 2005. At that time, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines recognized calls for resignation as well as for impeachment as legitimate options. While the bishops did not ask GMA to step down, they invited her to discern “to what extent she might have contributed to the erosion of effective governance.” Principled moral conviction calling for her resignation, while deserving respect, ceases to be a real political option if GMA will not resign voluntarily.
Cabinet declaration of incapacity of the President. A Cabinet majority can declare in writing to the Senate President and the Speaker that “the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his [her] office” (Article VII, Section 11). But this “internal or Palace coup” option tends to be elitist, as it depends on so few decision makers. Also, this declaration can still be challenged by the President and Congress may confirm the Cabinet decision by a two-thirds vote of its two chambers voting separately—even more stringent than the one-third required for the House of Representatives to endorse impeachment.
Oust GMA. Given that the President refuses to resign, those who are open to even extra-constitutional means must be reminded that democratic institutions may be harmed in the long-term, especially if a political vacuum is created for groups with an antidemocratic, adventurist or power-grabbing agenda.
People power. People power is a precious legacy from the struggle against dictatorship—the culmination of a long process of political education and mobilization, built on active nonviolence. In its current usage, however, people power is problematic because it is often equated with popular insurrection. This creates a dynamic in which crisis situations continue to be resolved through extra-constitutional means and an endless series of Edsas can ensue, spelling serious instability.
Snap elections. This is extra-constitutional; no such provision exists in the Charter. There can be “special elections” should vacancies arise in the offices of both the President and the Vice President. But special elections before 2010 without meaningful electoral reforms will be a contest between those already entrenched in power.
Military intervention. While there are reform-minded soldiers, military intervention must be eschewed, especially in the present context of a weak Philippine democracy. Allowing military arbitration to resolve political stalemates undermines civilian supremacy and democratic stability.
An Independent Counsel. Some call for an independent institution with the credibility and capacity for investigating and prosecuting government corruption at the highest levels. But the challenge is for this proposal to be legislated in Congress and to ensure its autonomy from the President, who will be the appointing official.
Impeachment. Through this constitutional mechanism, allegations can be verified and the President can be given a fair hearing. However, impeachment will only work if people are willing to lobby their representatives in Congress to prioritize truth and accountability. This allows for more active political participation, especially for citizens outside Metro Manila.
“How does one go beyond GMA?”
Elections. The forthcoming elections in 2010 will be critical: for choosing a new president and for restoring people’s trust in the system. Elections must be conducted freely and credibly. Furthermore, responsible citizens must organize around parties, candidates and leaders, who are upright and capable and who can help strengthen institutions.
During times of crises, the call to hope becomes more urgent. To move forward means to pursue specific actions such as:
Action points
(a) joining circles of ongoing reflection; (b) supporting institutional efforts to get to the truth and to protect whistle-blowers; (c) joining activities to promote accountability; (d) articulating ideals for national political reform; and (e) establishing sectoral and multisectoral organizations and networks for dialogue and concerted action.
Concretely, eight action areas fall within the range of options consistent with the non-negotiable principles:
Support for the ongoing Senate investigation of the ZTE-NBN case to bring out the whole truth and to strengthen the system of checks and balances.
Creation of a credible Independent Counsel who will be autonomous of the administration and free of the antics of traditional politicians.
Initiation of a genuine impeachment process to hold the President accountable for serious violations of public trust if there are sufficient bases for doing so.
Pursuit of reforms toward government transparency in all its transactions, especially those with an impact on poor communities and the environment.
Promotion of electoral reforms toward credible 2010 elections, including the revamp of the Commission on Elections and the modernization of the electoral system.
Search for worthy candidates and potential leaders, parties/coalitions and platforms for 2010, through positive planning and strategizing.
Organization of and support for basic sectors to give them a real say in democratic processes and to advance economic development and social justice.
Engagement of the youth in current issues through political education, lobbying for transparency and accountability, and involvement in electoral politics.
These specific calls for action are interconnected in a framework of truth, accountability and reform. They address gross injustices through the active participation of citizens to strengthen democratic political institutions under the Constitution.
We offer these guidelines as a response to the call of our bishops for “circles of discernment” to “pray together, reason together, decide together, act together.” We trust that these reflections help people who seek to respond in hopeful action to the current crisis rather than succumb to the temptations of despair.
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