Why GMA Can't Fix the Economy

Do you remember January 20, 2001? Aside from Bush having his first inauguration, GMA was also inaugurated for the first time at EDSA Dos. This "EDSA Revolution" arised from the damned second envelope. The prosecutors left the senate and they established mob rule for about 4 days. The military bolted the support from their commander-in-chief and instead supported GMA. In short, GMA's ascendance to power was "extra-legal" (I can't use the term illegal since the SC deemed her adminstration's ascendancy to power legal).

Several destabilizations later, came from the 2004 presidential elections. GMA is seeking a legal hold on power. What better way to do it than by doing it in the elections. She lambasted FPJ as being ignorant and can't handle the problems of the country, and all of the "improvements" made on her "first" term were just "downpayments." But as MLK, Jr., said, "you don't need a college degree to serve," so it's your choice whom to believe.

After lenghtly deliberations (where the media said the opposition applied "delaying tactics," GMA won "fair and square" against FPJ, hence she was elected for another 6 years. What I'm trying to say is that GMA's hold to power is dependent on the military, the support of the religious organizations, the civil society, several elite families, and some international orgs. She'd have to appease these groups or else, these people will find another character to support and remove her of office. She can vrtually ignore the rest of the country (democracy in this country is a joke, we live in an oligarchy), so even the big throngs of people lay siege at the palace (not of auburn hills) her "backup" would rescue her. The VAT increases are made in order to appease the WB (not the TV channel)/IMF so that they won't slash our credit rating. She lets consumer prices go up so the elite families can still party all night at Rockwell. The church is not taxed so she can have her so-called "moral ascendancy." The miltary, despite of numerous allegations of graft are free form the hands of GMA or else they might rise to topple her.She can ignore everyone else because she doesn't need them. The masa? She used them already on the elections. She "divided and conquered" the opposition. Ping and Angara? Who knows who is GMA's spy? The economy? She changed the meaning of unemployment so that the jobless rate would go down. GNP/GDP? Who cares, she can doctor them. Peso-dollar rate? According to experts, 90% of the movements in currency markets is attributed to speculation.

What can GMA do? Can she just simply do the right thing? If doing the right thing means violating the "agreements" between her administration and the elite society then she would have a very hard time. But with the prospect of popular support of the great majority of the people, she might just do it. However, even you have the support of the people, when the elite society doesn't want you, they can mobilize their own so-called "rallyists", students of exclusive schools, owner of big-time establishments, people living in high-end subdivisions, and those who pay big-time taxes to the government. And with those "rallyists", they can eliminate, decimate anyone who dares to remove the status quo.

So what can we do? The only "legal" thing we can do is to stop voting for these people. If you can't vote for someone, choose the lesser evil (well, it's always the case). Remember, if you don't vote, you have no right to complain. Organize ourselves into orgs that will monitor these "notorious individuals" in the public and private sectors. Be a good citizen. Hindi ka huhulihin ng enforcer kung sumusunod ka sa batas. Campaign actively against government officials who are the biggest losers. And finally, see to it that your taxes are well spent. Who knows what's going on at the house at Malacanang?