By Phillip Ting
OPINION
Vanguard 6 Jan. 23- 28, 2017
Editorial
A war without borders
In the medieval periods in Europe as well as here in the east, China and Japan, particularly, those who ruled fiefdoms did so with organized armed forces enforcing their rules at the point of the spear and the sword. In the case of Europe, trained knights made up the lord’ s or baron’ s elite force backed up by less trained troops coming mainly from the peasantry. In Japan, they had Samurais, a class of welltrained warriors serving whoever was appointed by the Emperor as a vassal of certain territories, providing a tightly-knit protective armor around their master, ringed by an army of lesser-trainer warriors who nevertheless dedicated their lives in defense of their master.
In today’ s so-called more civilized settings, such an arrangement might not be so evident anymore. But the modern warriors are still there to preserve the established order so that its laws and regulations may continue from the present generation to the next. Not with spears and swords, mind you, but with the latest weapons of war and technology that money could buy. The weapons may have changed but the intents and rationale of such arrangements have not.
The existence of the partisan armed groups( or PAGs) in Calbayog, Samar and five other neighboring towns protecting and doing the bidding of their political bosses is reminiscent of this era, except that PAGs have defied all rules of chivalry or fair play that the ancient knights and samurais were noted for. It’ s a much more brutal, unforgiving, relentless war without quarters, where family ties that used to provide a protective mantle over members of the clan no longer command respect. Cousins are killed by their own blood kin when the order to do so is issued by those in the higher echelons.
According to some of its
The Weekly Vanguard is the Eastern Visayas weekly newspaper published by The Vanguard Communications and Publishing Corporation, with its main office at Brgy. 95, Diversion Road, Caibaan, Tacloban City.
The Power of Far Vista
By Phillip Ting
Musings on federalism
I had a very illuminating conversation over Facebook, with a long time friend, former LTO director Ramon Cuyco, who, as I understand it, is one of the very few people in the civil service that has achieved a CESO Level 4 rank, which is the highest rank one can get in the civil service.
It started when Dir. Mon presented his idea about his three-tiered“ stride” framework for federalism. I’ ll go over his STRIDE in the next columns, but for now, let me detail what he says about the three tiers and how I see it happening, not only across the country, but also specifically in Eastern Visayas.
Cuyco believes that stride must occur within the context or the three tiers, which represents three relationships:( 1) relationship between state and federal government,( 2) relationship between president and congress( meaning the shift from presidential to parliamentary dorm of government and lastly( 3) the economic tier, which represents the relationship of business with governance( meaning the lifting of restrictions on foreign capital a d other protectionist economic constitutional provisions.
I concur with him, except for that I believe it will be better if the tiers are not implemented simultaneously. I believe that the economic tier must be built up first, but this process must make sure that the final beneficiaries of any economic restructuring should be the enterprising Filipino, and not more of the oligarchs or the existing big businessmen. I believe that an opening of the market will force local businesses to become competitive.
I also believe that given a liberalized economic regime that protects international capital, not only will foreigners be interested to put money in, but overseas Filipinos might become more encouraged to seek put their international partners and put up businesses themselves. But clearly, some restrictions must still be made.
Capital flight, for example, must be prevented. Profit remittance should also be controlled to ensure that a bigger part of profits made locally would be reinvested into local markets. Exported products, however, can have a higher level of profit remittance, which should encourage investors to further invest in ensuring export quality products.
Furthermore, the rules must be managed such that the bigger benefits must accrue to the enterprising Filipino, the enterprising poor, the middle class, and less to the already rich and powerful. tier three must be made to generate this outcome: a new class of Filipino businessmen, driven not just by profit-making, but also by ethical business practice, and by a sense of social obligation to return some of their profits to their community, whether through charitable works, or through investments in social enterprises that will create more ethical and socially conscious entrepreneurs.
This will set the ideal stage for tier 2, where the renegotiation between the powers of the imperial presidency is reduced, the powers of parliament magnified, and the individual power of congressmen are curtailed, while a professional civil service ensures the continuity of programs.
Furthermore, tier 2 is where the foundations of a tier 1 transformation must be started, because federalizing the government will mean making the state governments stronger, and that will take increasing the capacities of state government to technically plan, implement and ensure the sustainability of their own respective governance. When tier 2 has been mastered( and it will perhaps take a 6-year term or two), I believe the local governments will be ready by then to assume the responsibilities of statehood.#
Publisher: |
Bong Contapay |
Business Manager: |
Rey Enales |
Editor: |
Emil B. Justimbaste |
Associate Editor: |
Elmer V. Recuerdo |
Columnists: |
Prof. Rolando Borrinaga, Phillip Ting, |
Reynaldo Almenario, Eric Aseo, Jun Portillo |
Writers / Correspondents: |
Miriam Desacada( Tacloban), Gina Dean( Samar), |
Jun Tarroza( Ormoc), |
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Emilio Bacoto, Sergio S. Canoy Jr., Christian RayTorres |
Asprenio G. Ladim |
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originators, such armed groups were initially used by local politicians during the limited election period, after which each armed individual either surrendered their arms to their political masters or hid them for future use. Their tasks were over after their political masters were elected. That was what happened in other areas. The goons generally faded into oblivion or disappeared into their usual daily, uneventful lives.
But here in these parts of Samar, the goons have not stopped operating or surrendered their arms. In fact, these are continuing with their murderous rampage, bereft of any political moorings. The killings have taken on the face of personal vendettas where one killing is followed by another as a retaliation of the previous act. Clans are now fighting each other or among themselves in acts of extermination that seem unstoppable.
The police and military have combined forces to stop the bloodletting, but to no avail. No one in the communities want to provide information – for obvious reasons. The informants, too, can get killed. No one is talking or filing cases. There is no evidence that can substantiate any murder case. But everybody knows who killed whom. It’ s an open secret. The next day, someone else gets killed. And the list goes on. If you’ re a barangay captain who has been identified as a leader in some past elections, better pack up your things and leave.
And leave for good. It’ s a war without borders. #