What is to be done?

The past twenty seven years we have exhausted all constitutional means toward change. Two so-called rebellions and a thousand marches hence, and things turned from worse to worst. Two instances of regime changes, and three constitutional elections did nothing to change the lot of many. This is a sign already that peaceful and "constitutional" ways will not eliminate the ills of our society.

Fact is, these two Edsas brought us nothing but misery, suffering and confusion. In 1986, we ousted a so-called dictator only to wake up one morning to find a thousand demi-gods and pseudo dictators in his stead. Twenty seven years ago, only a handful of families rob us in a systematic way. Now, a thousand families are moving like rats, chewing every fine shred of protection our laws provided for the sanctity of our public funds.

We tried to find a solution to Mindanao only to wake one fine morning with hundreds of thousands of lives destroyed and billions of pesos lost in an angry expression of Muslim frustration. We spent billions of pesos looking for peace only to find it farthest from our grasp.

We tried every single philosopher out there, pacifists, and peppered our public sphere with stirring slogans and quotes from Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, martin luther king, henry david thoreau and even Mother theresa, only to find them shallow, hollow, cold and distant.

In every crisis, we tried to pacify ourselves from a decisive outburst, only to find ourselves deeper in the morass of uncivility, immorality, corruption and Mammon worship. The more we tell ourselves that solutions can be found in our basic charter, the deeper we dig our own graves.

As we age, and as our hairs turn grey, the more distant our salvation becomes. We ask ourselves in the dead of the night, what future awaits our descendants? What kind of society are we giving to our sons and daughters?

As our leaders age and those with pure hearts replaced by those whose thirst to power overwhelms their desire to serve, the more we realize that things are getting worse before they get better. For an apologist, this is one sign that the cure is at arm's reach. For the pragmatist, it is just a symptom of a worsening and sickening cancer that afflicts not just our minds but our very spirits.

Before God snatches our spirits from our bodies, we must realize one thing---that we must live not for ourselves but for others. What kind of society do we want future Filipinos to have? A society that worships the Mammon iinstead of the One true God? A society that teaches us that to get rich, we only have to exploit the weaknesses of the system? That being a bigtime thief is better than just being a bank robber or a wallet snatcher?

It is time to face reality and face the problem squarely and truthfully. The system remains the problem. The system should be replaced. The present generation of leaders have failed us. The corrupt walk mightily upon our lands, and injustice is in every corner.. It is time to revive the Katipunan that once tried to change the order of things.

We must unite, every one who loves this country. We must revolt not for ourselves but for our children. Let our children inherit a land that is free from injustice, ,from immorality, from corruption and greed.