[Pun intended]

I was supposed to be blogging about my tech cravings, and this is so not a political blog, but this sparked my interest (and total disappointment). Being born and raised in, and being a citizen of a country who has for ages been fighting for freedom and justice, I feel the need to have my say on this, even though I am miles away from my own soil at the moment.

The Philippine House of Representatives last June 2, 2009, passed the House Resolution 1109, or HR1109 (sounds like another disease, does it?). This opens the Constitution to a Charter Change. But who needs this kind of change?

I have long agreed to my comrades when they say our [Philippine] Constitution counts as one of the most beautiful penned constitutions in history. Both subjective and objective, a lot of reasons account for this, but one element of our Constitution captures the heart of every Filipino, and all other free men - the idea of sovereign democracy.

The Filipino people have long enjoyed the numerous benefits of a democratic Republic - freedom of speech probably being the most iconic - and also suffered a few flaws brought about by clashing ideals.

Another yet critical part of a democratic Republic such as our own, is a government that hears the voices of its people. After all, the government is made by the people for the people. As such, government officials are put in place by the people via elections, with trust that these elected bodies will help guide the nation. They are no different than lighthouses that guide ships from venturing into nowhere, lest crashing into icebergs.

And yet the people whom we trusted with our future, in a shameless act of betrayal, trample on the very foundations that this country had been living (and dying) for. They have set into motion something that violates the very Constitution that they swore to protect the moment they assumed office. They want to change our Constitution, but for what? Honestly, there is no need for recent events to sway me into this mentality, as this has always been the case. Who needs this kind of change?

I believe I speak in behalf of all the others who care when I say we don't need this change. What we do need is a good set of leaders. As with every law written and with every rule broken, it is the leaders that make the waves. All laws suffer from inertia at rest: unless an enforcing body acts by it it will remain at rest. And at rest a law is nothing more than just a blot on paper.

Who needs this change? We don't need this change. We need our leaders to change - a change of heart. We need our leaders to be reminded of and to realize how beautiful our Constitution is, and how it will beautifully steer our country to a better foreseeable future, hath it be properly and wholeheartedly exercised and adhered to.

We need our leaders to shift their interests to the common good. I think, if we could take a commoner who employs only common sense and an aim to achieve only the common good, and put him into the office of the President for a week, maybe, just maybe, our country would be able to breathe a little easy. If only there was a Dave within our midst.

No one needs Charter Change. This is not the change that we want, and neither is it the change that we need. And to the House of Representatives, shame on you! This is how you show your leadership to the Filipino people - by gripping democracy in the throat, and choking it. Shame on you! Even if you express apologies (and I believe you wouldn't) they will never be enough. Shame on you. Reflect, reconcile, then resign. Our country does not deserve shameless backstabbing leaders who lack too much on integrity and responsibility. No, our country does not deserve any system run by people as shabby as your questionable selves.