My Thoughts on 32nd EDSA Revolt Anniversary on February

Next month, February 25, 2018 is the 32nd anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution that ended the 20 year rule of the ruthless Marcos dictatorship and restored democracy and freedom on our nation and its people.
This article is my thoughts about the revolution itself.
Yes, democracy and freedoms including freedom of expression was restored to our nation and its people. But one fredom is not fully restored and the elite take advantage of it to seize it for themselves and to deprive the poor. What I meant is economic freedom. Thus, there is still a gap between the rich and poor. Ika nga sa Tagalog, mas yumanan ang mga mayayaman at mas humirap ang mga mahihirap.
Then, the political dynasties emerged across the country and these dynasties continue to rule our nation from national and local governments up to the present as if they are ruling a monarchical nation like the Netherlands, Belgium etc, our political party system is dysfunctional, thus making our democracy inept.
The constitutional provision guaranteeing access to government information to the people is not being carried out.
Our military is in disparity, thus our nation is being bullied by several big powers.
Unemployment is still high and there is a system of contractualization among the workers in the private sector.
We are now the importers of rice and no longer its exporters and not all farmlands are not being given to the farmers who till it to own them.
Crime is still high and the issue of illegal drugs is still prevalent and our police force lack necessary equipment to enforce our laws.
Our educational system is too costly.
The issue of graft and corruption is still intact as well as human rights violations even though Marcos is now gone.
And, there are still trouble in some parts of our nation particularly in Mindanao.
On my part, the following are my proposed solutions to make our democracy stronger, mature and keeping the flame of the EDSA Revolution that restored it alive further more:
1. An Anti Political Dynasty Law must be passed to prevent political dynasties from reigning and a Political Party System Development Act must be passed to strengthen our political parties.
2. The Freedom of Information Bill must be enacted to guarantee our people’s constitutional rights to access on government information, subject to such limitations like documents on national security.
3. Reform thoroughly our agricultural system to make our farmers’ lives improved and to make our nation self-sufficient in rice production and continue to enforce land reform program.
4. Amend or if necessary, revise the economic provisions of the present 1987 Constitution to make foreign investments and ownership of businesses in the country 100% to create more jobs to our countrymen and to combat unemployment. And to pass a law banning contractualization in the private sector and to impose penalties on the businesses that will violate it.
5. Make a total overhaul of our justice system to make sure that the accused who really committed a crime must be convicted and those who were accused a crime in spite of the fact that they did not do so will be freed to increase the prosecution and conviction rate; Enforce the laws strictly but justly and evenly to both rich and poor. Modernize the PNP to enable the policemen to do their law enforcement duties with sufficient new modern equipments and weapons as well as the NBI to make it more modern in performing its functions. Build more rehabilitation centers to the victims of illegal drugs; Imposition of death penalty on the drug traffickers and later on certain heinous crimes if warranted.
6. Continue the modernization of our military so that one day, we can be able to stand up on our own in defending our nation from external threats.
7. Initiate peace talks within the bounds of our Constitution with all rebel groups, not only a one rebel group for inclusive peace in our nation provided that such talks is within from the position of strength so that the Government will not be bullied by such rebel groups.
8. Initiate more policies and programs to combat graft and corruption so that the grafters in our Government will be surely be jailed. Launch a comprehensive program to deal severely with human rights violations still prevailing like extra judicial killings to make those who are responsible for it accountable.
9. Make our educational system free in elementary, high school and colleges, give scholarships to the poor but deserving students.
10. Reform the Constitution to strengthen democratic institutions, geared it up to deal with the challenges of the 21st century and to change the system of government, from unitary to federal and from presidential to semi-presidential and that will overhaul the political party system of the country.
11. To initiate policy of industrialization to restore the steel industry of the country in its rightful place and to shore up the growth of export-oriented industries that will complement the blessings of a robust economy.
If the current President Digong Duterte administration and the 17th Congress could do this, then it will finished off the EDSA Revolution on its completion. But such task is not so easy. It will undergo major challenges that the President and the legislators, through critical collaboration will overcome to accomplish it. But, if we, the Filipino people, will cooperate, then we will share the blessings of the unfinished Revolution as we will join in finishing it.
At this point, we must continue to seek justice for the victims of the past dictatorship while at the same time continue to condemn its past atrocities and corruption from the years 1972-1986 especially during the Martial Law era on us and we must make sure that those who abused this country during those times will be held accountable and if it happens, then it would be the time that we can reconcile with them. Reconciliation based on justice and accountability. But we must not allow those who are running for public office to repeat the mistakes of the past Marcos dictatorship and instead let us remind them to fulfill more the promises of the EDSA Revolt and to bless further our democracy. Yet, we must also combat the revisionists who are trying to revise our nation’s history to cleanse the dictatorship of its past mistakes and we must educate our youth particularly the millenials of such mistakes and of the EDSA Revolution itself so that they will know that a dictatorship is not beneficial to our country and instead it would be disastrous. Then, it is the only time we can move as one nation forward but learning the lessons of the past so that it will not be ever repeated. It is not easy to forget such abuses made and to forgive those who did it. It will take years to come.
So mga Kababayan Ko:
WE MUST KEEP THE FLAME OF EDSA REVOLT ALIVE!!!! WE MUST MAKE OUR DEMOCRACY MORE MATURE AND OUR FREEDOMS MORE MATURE AS FORMER PRESIDENT FIDEL RAMOS SAID AND I QUOTE: “KAYA NATIN ITO!” WE MUST STILL SAY NEVER AGAIN TO DICTATORSHIP AND MARTIAL LAW!!
God bless us and our Mother Philippines!

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