Thy Will Be Done

Our greatest problem now revolves around the government bureaucracy. It is not responsive enought to the needs of the people. It can also be manipulated easily by those with sleek hands, materialistic intentions, and organizing capabilities to round up supporters for their devious aims.

How did we arrive at this kind of government? Way back in the 50's our elders are saying that we were even ahead of Japan in terms of economic prosperity? I must venture my opinion that the study of political science, of law and philosophy in our country ran short of addressing the needs of the people. There has been a tendency to intellectualize problems and solutions, to think that putting down everything on paper can rationalize and even legalize everything. Unfortunately, after so many decades of American rule bringing about education, and neo-colonial rule allowing the feeding in of imported knowledge, our government has been run according to rules but with hidden secret deals of those in power. Thus the corrupt and political gangsters have been able to lord it over there and swing the country's wealth to their pockets.

In the sixties, the ideas of Mao came to the country and what we have had was a philosophy that was transplanted here by the Left. It was a change from the Spanish Bible to the Maoist red book. But then the Left was also totally mistuned to the people's needs. They came with a blueprint for progress without tracing the origins of their ideas to the Philippine situation. Many other intellectuals have averred that, contrary to their claims, the Philippines is not a semi-feudal, semi-capitalist country. In fact, according to Fe Mangahas, the country has a large middle class -- the professionals serving as props to the ruling economic classes.

Meanwhile, what philosophy was moving in the academes? Either Christian philosophy, fundamentalist, and in UP, logical positivism, completely misinterpreted in the light of Philippine realities.

But the theological revolution in the Catholic church happened which necessitated a view of the poor as our brothers and sisters, and the need for the church to have a liberation theology. How to liberate the poor from being oppressed and deprived. Thus we have had progressive religious group leaders who questioned why this government seems to be callous to the calls for reform of society.

When martial law was declared, our search for meaningful lives became stagnant. The left grew strong underground but it also became the raison d'etre of Marcos to perpetuate himself in power. The Communist bogeyman became a good excuse to suspend human rights, etcetera. And worst of all, when Cory came with her Cory's crusaders, and the onset of the new Philippine women's movement, and called for snap presidential elections, the Left boycotted. Why? For many reasons -- but mainly because they were not the major runners.

Now, it's 2010. Where are the Left people? Two are with a party with Marcos' son running for senator.

Truly our politics is very confusing. But not perpetually. We know with whom we shall side -- the real great masses of women and men who comprise the working groups, here and abroad, whose views of politics is that it is an elitist's or a materialistic endeavor of those who want to enrich themselves at the expense of others.

Anyway, from these elections shall spring new heroes and heroines who will bring our country to real honest prosperity through a sincere and morally upright government.

Let they will be done, O God!