Unite to Defend Democracy and Build the Nation

Unite to Defend Democracy and Build the Nation !

             Philippine society is in the grip of economic, political, social, and cultural systems that are making our people increasingly miserable and divided. As citizens who love our country and desire the welfare of all our people, it is fitting for us to understand our present societal problems and to take resolute action toward solving these.

Sociohistorical Background

About sixty-six years ago, when the Philippines gained formal political independence, the citizenry were already aware that the country was burdened by severe societal inequities. The latter gave rise to tension and conflict, which soon broke out into armed rebellion.

Time and again the people put their hopes for a secure and abundant life on new leaders whom they thought would lead the country to peace and progress. Each election was seen as an opportunity to bring to power these new leaders.

On a few occasions the people, by massive street mobilizations followed by withdrawal of support by the military from the incumbent leaders, even deposed leaders considered to be corrupt or disrespectful of human rights, and changed them with new leaders who would govern the country in a decisively better way.

The hopes of our people have been shattered. Even well-meaning leaders failed to lead the nation to societal progress and harmony. Their failure was in part because they did not effectively promote the systemic changes that concretely manifest the justice and development that are in turn the preconditions for authentic and enduring societal peace.

        Corruption and opportunism added to the destructive effects of insufficient insight and deficient vision. More and more of our people were dragged into misery and often violent social conflict.

The May 2010 Elections

Our people again looked to the May 2010 elections for a change of leaders that would solve our societal problems. Relying on a new automated election system, they expected the elections to be an honest, efficient, orderly, and credible way of putting in power a new leader who would put an end to corruption and to the poverty that corruption breeds. This new leader was expected to unite the nation, strengthen democracy, serve the common good, and make the country flourish.

         The May 2010 elections and its aftermath have caused deep disappointment among more and more of the people.

The elections turned out to be seriously flawed. A cunningly designed way of manipulating the automated election system to favor parties and candidates willing and able to pay huge sums of money and political favors for a sham victory or margin was stealthily carried out. The electoral body—the Commission on Elections—and its contracted agents severely compromised the objective credibility of the elections by discarding basic security features decreed by law and meant to ensure the integrity of the automated election system. The discarding of the security features enabled the manipulation of the elections. It also points to the intent to commit electronic fraud of a kind and extent that amount to electoral sabotage.

The Characteristics and Acts of the Incumbent Regime

Contrary to the people’s hopes, the regime that emerged from the 2010 elections, behind the façade of an ostentatious pursuit of reforms, has turned out to be hypocritical. It is given to favoritism and arbitrariness in its purported fight against criminality, corruption, incompetence. It often shows itself to be indolent, capricious, and petty. It spends disproportionately large amounts of time and energy harassing and maligning its perceived enemies and cultivating a spuriously good public image. Meantime it neglects to focus on the people’s basic concerns. These include protecting the people from environmental hazards, and preventively remedying a long-impending shortage of electric power by full compliance with the law. Far from uniting the nation, the incumbent regime is further unnecessarily dividing it. Far from serving the common good, it is further harming it.

         Moreover, in the less than two years since it came to power, this incumbent regime has increasingly become either the perpetrator or the enabler of three emergent grave threats to authentic democracy.

First, seizure of state power by the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front, because of a combination of the regime’s ineptness and the opportunistic collusion of many of its high officials.

Second, impunity of the perpetrators of electoral sabotage through electronic fraud, and moves of the incumbent regime to entrench itself indefinitely in power by taking control of the machinery and method of electronic fraud and electoral sabotage, for use in subsequent elections.

The recent issuance by the Supreme Court of a Temporary Restraining Order on the purchase of the Precinct Count Optical Scan machines is an indication of its desire to prevent electronic fraud and electoral sabotage.

Third, wanton disregard of separation of powers and checks and balances in government, in order to perpetuate the immoral retention of huge tracts of landed property and to secure unwarranted political advantage through a judiciary made subservient to the leader of the regime.

Judicial independence remains threatened by the incumbent regime, and must be upheld at all times, more so in the light of the recent final and executory decision of the Supreme Court in the Hacienda Luisita case.

         It is for the foregoing reasons that the incumbent regime has lost our confidence. We are convinced that it cannot and will not effectively lead the nation to a secure and prosperous future. On the contrary, in many important respects the regime is dragging the country into decline.

Resolve, Action, and Appeal

We therefore must act promptly, decisively, and resolutely to stop and to reverse this decline. Consequently we unite in a collective project of societal systemic change that will promote the common good of our country. We unite according to the following principles:

First, the initiative and scope of this project of life-giving transformation is national, and is not limited to Manila.

Second, it has a moral foundation derived from the teachings of the various faith communities in Philippine society, and therefore entails dialogue and cooperation among these faith communities.

Third, its fundamental attitude and method is nonviolent.

Fourth, it aims for change of systems, not just a change of leaders.

Fifth, it affirms and puts into practice civilian supremacy at all times.

Sixth, it recognizes the role of the military as protector of the will of the people.

Seventh, it is morally legitimized by leaders of our faith communities.

Eighth, it draws support and participation from authentic representatives of the farmer, worker, fisherfolk, and other basic sectors of the people.

Ninth, it respects the rights and promotes the legitimate interests of the less numerous religious and ethnic communities.

Tenth, it is open to federalism.

          In response to the three emergent grave threats to authentic democracy perpetrated and promoted by the incumbent regime, we urge the citizenry to undertake the following:  

First, uphold democratic coherence and consistency; reject and rebuke collusion with elements of the extreme right and the extreme left.

Second, uphold the sanctity of the ballot; condemn electoral fraud of all kinds; demand truth and accountability in relation to electoral fraud committed at any time, including the electronic fraud in the 2010 elections.

Third, defend democratic separation of powers and checks and balances; protest against and resist all moves to concentrate the powers of government in a person or a clique.

       We appeal to our fellow citizens to consider the plight of our country and our people, and to join us in our common task of defending democracy and building the nation in accord with the principles and specifications stated above.

         In witness to our adherence to this message, project, and appeal, we hereby affix our signatures hereto, at Talisay City, Cebu, in the evening of 29 April A.D. 2012 and of 8 Jumada al-Akhir A.H. 1433.