RP, Asia’s perpetual sad sack?

By Gerry Garcia

THE recent 6-car bombing suicides which ripped through a major Shi’ite militia force in Baghdad and killed 46 people, injuring 204 others were a trifling event casualty-wise compared to the Ultra stampede in Pasig City last month. This tragic incident netted 74 deaths, with injuries inflicted on hundreds of others . . . all under pressure of stampeding Pinoys’ feet!

 

The combined investigation into the Pasig tragedy pointed out a major factor behind the overwhelming rush of people through a limited sloping area in the Ultra stadium: Huge cash prizes were at stake during that day marking the first anniversary of Wowowee.    

Since entry tickets were few and limited, the gathered crowd turned into a frenzied mob forcing their way to grab hungrily at available tickets, much like a big pack of wolves fighting for a chunk of meat thrown at them.

 

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Self-styled analysts refer to that tragedy as part of the growing pains our Third World Republic is going through at the moment. Problem is we’ve been groaning under these pains for decades and not making much of headway because our political leaders, especially in imperious Metro Manila, where publicity potentials are aplenty and  tempting,  are too busy grandstanding to be able to buckle down and work together.

 

Unlike their counterparts in the Southeast Asian neighborhood, like Singapore and Malaysia, our trapos are hard workers stabbing each other at the back and never finding time to work together. All of them want to be president. Especially the senators, some of them at least.

 

There are cooler heads in Congress, though, like Speaker Joe de Venecia and Sen. Edgar Angara, both veteran lawmakers who sense solution and wisdom in charter change to effect change in the system of government. They, together with a few like-minded colleagues in Congress, are one in belief that the constant bickering that has been unduly stalling favorable decisions on reform-oriented resolutions could finally be put to an end by converting Congress into a unitary legislative parliament — a move which, understandably, would raise the eyebrows of most incumbent senators.

 

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Outside of troublesome Metro-Manila, political leadership is generally advocative of a shift to a parliamentary form of government.

 

Among many local officials in the provinces nationwide, governors, mayors, etc., the consensus is that a unitary  form of parliament  would prevent power grabs like the aborted coup last Feb. 24,  a military conspiracy that would have plunged the country into authoritarian rule had not the President acted swiftly enough to thwart the attempt.

 

Shorn of grandstanding but useless rhetoric and repetitious over-used objections to the proposed shift, which is characteristic of imperious Manila, advocacy of cha-cha in the provinces says the shift is expected to end legislative gridlock, avert splitting congress into groups and transforming congressional hearings into virtual venues for political grandstanding and character assassination because of greater transparency under the new system of government.

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