Initiative yes, but not people's

Yesterday was supposed to be a red-letter day in the country, red being the color of days with special significance in the calendar. The occasion? The barangay assemblies where the call for a Constitutional amendment was expected to be made.

The operative word used here is expected. This considering that Malacañang has pulled all stops in its obsession to push through with the Constitutional change – at all cost. That was quite evident in the manner that money was supposed to have changed hands in many instances. Like all barters go, a signature in favor of the call for amendment was supposed to be rewarded with cash. Given the magnitude of the signature drive and the huge amount that the signatures would entail, there is little reason to doubt it had the official blessings of the powers-that-be.

The opposition was expected to put up a gallant stand. By gallant, it means that those opposing the signature drive would do all they can, stretch their meager resources and spread themselves too thin – just to be able to stay the drive. Considering the resolve their resolve to stop the drive, it would be premature to say that the gallant efforts are all for naught. A determined group, no matter how small, would be pesky enough to take the fight even to its last breath. And yet, all indications point to an overwhelming “yes” count. If the claims of signature-buying are true, then it is all over but the counting. Time and again, it has been proven in this country that nobody gets a free ride. When candidates pay, they are given a ride to the post for which they paid for. Most of them, at least.

Notwithstanding the calls for free, fair and honest elections, it has mostly been an election won by guns, goons and gold, although not necessarily in that order. An election campaign exclusively ran on a platform rejecting vote buying is almost always a sure-fire formula for defeat.

One last detail though.

Government agencies always refer to the exercise as “people's initiative”. That is of course something far too difficult to swallow. In a country where most of the people live below the poverty line, the obvious thing that they would initiate is having food on the table. Signing up for a drive, more so getting other people to sign up with them on a piece of paper to call for the amendment of the Constitution is contrary to human nature. Only apologists and those who earn a living out of it will believe that. That were was an initiative to call for the Constitutional amendment, there is no doubt about that. But to call it people's initiative is simply too much.