A Critique of Duterte's choice of Constitutional Review group members

Is this administration really serious in changing our country?

I read the names which our President Rodrigo Duterte included in the 25-man constitutional review group. These are names which were behind the anomalous and highly scandalous Arroyo administration, while some are known names who thrived in this parasitic system. Some would say that is better because these people have exploited the system and they know how to destroy it. The more substantive question really is--do they have the correct vision and the correct analysis,  interpretation and appreciation of the problem?

I don't have any issue with former Chief Justice Puno. What surprises me is the absence of people whom we know to have the vision and the new ideas which we need to be incorporated into the draft Constitution.

Why are these names not included in the review panel?

1. Susan "Toots" Ople--- we need a charter that will create new and exciting opportunities for our labourers and OFWs. Ople has been working with this sector for decades. Her knowledge is surely rich enough to be mined and put into the new charter.

2. Architect Palafox---this man has a vision and that Musk-ian ideas of his are necessary for us to create a better Philippines. He's the best urban planner around. Why is he not in the panel?

3. Dr. Clarita Carlos--she has a wealth of knowledge gained not just within the academe but outside of it.  We need a more robust political infrastructure. We need expert ideas on handling our external affairs. We also need someone who knows the military infrastructure.

4. Ambassador Rosario Manalo--she is a veteran diplomat and her wealth of knowledge is ripe to be mined and put into creating a more professional, more skilful and more patriotic diplomatic corps.

5. Former general Luis Tuason Jr---- This retired gentleman of an officer has the right mindset and the experience and knowledge about maritime affairs. We need someone to articulate issues involving our maritime relations with other countries to protect the interests of Filipino seafarers.

6. Dr. Aileen Baviera--our country's foremost Sinologist. Our relationship with China is often being criticised for its lack of depth and even somewhat misinterpreted as subservience. How do we avoid becoming a Chinese satellite? What do we do in order to strengthen our position vis-a-vis China? What is the healthier relationship or form of engagement when it comes to this emerging superpower?

7. Dr. Zeus Salazar---this retired professor of history is one of the best and the greatest minds that had ever lived. Though he's an octogenarian, nonetheless, his mind remains excellent. He can provide us with expert advise and valuable historical lessons so that we know what to avoid and what to include.

8. Designer Lhuillier---- she's a foremost Hollywood based fashion designer. Why is she on my list? She knows global trends. She knows what's in store for the future. She puts a Filipino flavour out of her creations which are being considered the best among the world's best. We need someone like her so that our new charter would have a globalist design along Filipino lines.

9. Fernando Zobel--- why is a billionaire painter and visual artist in this list? Well, Zobel's eye is what we need to create a modern society. Artists are political animals. There is some politics in art.

10. Tony Meloto--- one of our country's visionaries. Meloto is one kind of an individual, someone who understands the situation of our people and puts out innovative ideas to improve the environment.

11. Dr. Feria of the UP College of Mass Communications---Dr. Feria is a stickler for research. Her mind is excellent.

12. Dr. Luis Teodoro----  a man of letters, of principle and of journalistic freedom. Self expression is an important pillar of a democracy.

13. We need an expert in European affairs and I believe Dr. Ela Atienza of the UP Political Science department fits the bill.

14. Dr. Carlota Hernandez is expert in international law and security. She must be at the panel.

15. Dr. Temy Rivera-- yes, he's a Socialist but we need such a person to provide us with alternative and critical views of reality.

16. Amina Rasul--- a long-time peace advocate and expert in Muslim affairs. She should be in the panel.

17. Dr. Ferdinand Llanes--one of his

This administration wants to create a new constitution. This Constitution will serve as our people's blueprint of the kind of society we need. The new charter will redefine our lives and our relations and interactions with people. It will not only reconfigure our economic-political systems but likewise our social structures, as well as cultural. All the other laws will surely follow as soon as we unveil this new Constitution which is supposed to be an improvement of the existing one.

Do these people know our cultural norms and values? Being operators or carpet baggers of this system, what they know are the ins and outs of this system, and this skill is not what we need.

We need innovators. We need designers and engineers. We need anthropologists, sociologists, historians, communicators and political scientists. We need visionaries.

Sadly, none of those named by Duterte possesses these skills and qualities. Duterte named lawyers, liars, prevaricators and known skilled operators. This shows you the true intention of those who want to change the system--they want the new one to create a resilient probably protectionist system which will run counter to the prevailing globalised system.

Why are we creating those federal states, if you ask me?

Regional oligarchs fear competition. Since most of them have tenuous hold over the political leadership (which is always shifting) and some are not proximate with the Power Centre, they want to be the power centre in their respective localities and territories so that they can protect their economic interests. When we go federal, we give these regional powers more powers, powers that are supposed to be within the presidential context are to be exercised by these regional oligarchs.

Give these regional oligarchs the power to legislate laws and they will definitely create laws that benefit only 1% of the federal state's population. This is expected since we are under a capitalist system where concentration of capital and of wealth is encouraged.

Imagine an Alvarez lording it over his legislative district? Surely, as the head of that federalist state, he will surely push for laws that encourage multiple partners (he admits having a paramour, an admission of committing a crime involving moral turpitude. Curiously though, attorney Alvarez is not receiving any written admonition from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and no one is even thinking of filing a disbarment for his highly public admission that he is now living in with a woman not his legal wife, citing his right as a Manobo (sometimes he claims to be a Muslim) to have multiple partners).

Giving extra powers to these regional oligarchs has a direct effect on our natural resources. Imagine having as a federal head, the biggest logging operator in the country. What will happen to our remaining virgin forests? Or how about electing a pro-mining federal head and a pro-mining federal parliament?

These are questions beyond the arguments of this constitution being unable to spur further development, of this charter promoting inequality in resource distribution, of this charter limiting economic and social development.

Admittedly, we really want to change things in our society, but we must do it the right way.

We must have a new constitution that is science-based, and the kind of constitution that is backed up by research.

We must not let populism and emotionalism find its way in the process of creating a new charter. It is time for us to create a forward-looking constitution, something which encourages the creation of new social capital out of the relationships which it created.