The Philippine Political Revolution of November 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen of the "JURY":


From the moment I released the e-mail blast, about 21 hours ago, the Philippine tri-media industry remains bent on maximizing the mileage that can be derived and the revenues that can be squeezed out from each and every column inch of advertising space from their captive corporate sponsors and advertisers from the "Brouhaha over Barack Obama". And so, Filipino Citizens afflicted with "Short - A.S.S." (Short Attention Span Syndrome) remain glued on the 'Brouhaha over Barack Obama", unmindful of overt and covert actions by the Illegitimate Tenant in Malacanang, her cohorts in the 14th Congress, the Supreme Court, while still under the "protection" of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police that maintain the "Withdrawal of Support from the FILIPINO PEOPLE" since JANUARY 2001. Before anyone will even try to contest that, please check on the total number of Presidential Appointees in the National Government who are EX-generals of the AFP and PNP. You should find it worthwhile to realize the magnitude of what has been done in that area since JANUARY 2001.


But, the need for effecting the long overdue changes in public governance of the Philippine Republic must be addressed now, for it will be too late for Filipino Citizens to wait for MAY 2010. At the National Level, the pitch for peaceful and constitutional measures for effecting changes is part of the "script" of the "Tripartite Syndicate" among the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches in playing out the "political zarzuela con moro moro" that will be box office hit for the majority of the descendants of the darn idiotic Indios from 1936 to 1946, who would rather be "Little Brown Americans", or the latest quip of "Little Obamas" !


Re:

Is there enough number of Filipino Citizens, who share the common vision, mission, and aspiration to change the environment NOW?

At the National Level, the tragic reality of the moment is that there is NONE. And so, I will put to the sidelines the only real solution for effecting honest-to-goodness change in public governance at the National Level.


The "Political Revolution" must start from the Local Government Units. And that WE, Filipino Citizens, can do in small groups PER barangay, municipality, city, and province right here and now, without having to wait for MAY 2010 Local Elections.


What are the minimum numbers required for this "Political Revolution" to be launched immediately?

Barangay - only 50 Filipino Citizens

Municipality - only 100 Filipino Citizens

City or Province - only 1,000 Filipino Citizens


The next question is: What about the "fire-power" needed for this "Political Revolution"?


WE, Filipino Citizens, who want to effect specific changes in public governance immediately at the Local Level only need to organize and invoke the following:


THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES
BOOK I - GENERAL PROVISIONS
TITLE NINE. - OTHER PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

CHAPTER 2. - LOCAL INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM



This is the most powerful "firepower" for effecting political changes right here and now, readily available to us, Filipino Citizens, but which have been relegated to the background intentionally by the Traditional Politicians who are in power, and which have been grossly overlooked by the so called Non-Traditional Political Leaders (who still have the mindsets of their Traditional counterparts), Non-Government Organizations and by the majority among us, descendants of the darn idiotic Indios from 1936 to 1946, who would rather be "Little Brown Americans", or the latest quip of "Little Obamas" !



Now, what are the specifics of our "firepower"?


SECTION 120. Local Initiative Defined. -

Local initiative is the legal process whereby the registered voters of a local government unit may directly propose, enact, or amend any ordinance.


SECTION 121. Who May Exercise. -

The power of local initiative and referendum may be exercised by all registered voters of the provinces, cities, municipalities, and Barangays.


SECTION 122. Procedure in Local Initiative. -

(a) Not less than one thousand (1,000) registered voters in case of provinces and cities, one hundred (100) in case of municipalities, and fifty (50) in case of Barangays, may file a petition with the Sanggunian concerned proposing the adoption, enactment, repeal, or amendment of an ordinance.

(b) If no favorable action thereon is taken by the Sanggunian concerned within thirty (30) days from its presentation, the proponents, through their duly authorized and registered representatives, may invoke their power of initiative, giving notice thereof to the Sanggunian concerned.

(c) The proposition shall be numbered serially starting from Roman numeral I. The Comelec or its designated representative shall extend assistance in the formulation of the proposition.

(d) Two (2) or more propositions may be submitted in an initiative.

(e) Proponents shall have ninety (90) days in case of provinces and cities, sixty (60) days in case of municipalities, and thirty (30) days in case of Barangays, from notice mentioned in subsection (b) hereof to collect the required number of signatures.

(f) The petition shall be signed before the election registrar, or his designated representatives, in the presence of a representative of the proponent, and a representative of the Sanggunian concerned in a public place in the local government unit, as the case may be. Stations for collecting signatures may be established in as many places as may be warranted.

(g) Upon the lapse of the period herein provided, the Comelec, through its office in the local government unit concerned, shall certify as to whether or not the required number of signatures has been obtained. Failure to obtain the required number defeats the proposition.

(h) If the required number of signatures is obtained, the Comelec shall then set a date for the initiative during which the proposition shall be submitted to the registered voters in the local government unit concerned for their approval within sixty (60) days from the date of certification by the Comelec, as provided in subsection (g) hereof, in case of provinces and cities, forty-five (45) days in case of municipalities, and thirty (30) days in case of Barangays. The initiative shall then be held on the date set, after which the results thereof shall be certified and proclaimed by the Comelec.


SECTION 123. Effectivity of Local Propositions. -

If the proposition is approved by a majority of the votes cast, it shall take effect fifteen (15) days after certification by the Comelec as if affirmative action thereon had been made by the Sanggunian and local chief executive concerned. If it fails to obtain said number of votes, the proposition is considered defeated.


SECTION 124. Limitations on Local Initiatives. -

(a) The power of local initiative shall not be exercised more than once a year.

(b) Initiative shall extend only to subjects or matters which are within the legal powers of the Sanggunians to enact.

(c) If at any time before the initiative is held, the Sanggunian concerned adopts in to the proposition presented and the local chief executive approves the same, the initiative shall be canceled. However, those against such action may, if they so desire, apply for initiative in the manner herein provided.


SECTION 125. Limitations upon Sanggunians. -

Any proposition or ordinance approved through the system of initiative and referendum as herein provided shall not be repealed, modified or amended by the Sanggunian concerned within six (6) months from the date of the approval thereof, and may be amended, modified or repealed by the Sanggunian within three (3) years thereafter by a vote of three-fourths (3/4) of all its members: Provided, That in case of Barangays, the period shall be eighteen (18) months after the approval thereof.


SECTION 126. Local Referendum Defined. -

Local referendum is the legal process whereby the registered voters of the local government units may approve, amend or reject any ordinance enacted by the Sanggunian. The local referendum shall be held under the control and direction of the Comelec within sixty (60) days in case of provinces and cities, forty-five (45) days in case of municipalities and thirty (30) days in case of Barangays. The Comelec shall certify and proclaim the results of the said referendum.


SECTION 127. Authority of Courts. - Nothing in this Chapter shall prevent or preclude the proper courts from declaring null and void any proposition approved pursuant to this Chapter for violation of the Constitution or want of capacity of the Sanggunian concerned to enact the said measure.




Ladies and Gentlemen of the "JURY", the re-education or re-orientation of Filipino Voters is not just about the elections per se, which has been the narrow pitch sanctioned by the Traditional Politicians!

Real honest-to-goodness re-orientation of Filipino Voters is anchored on this "firepower":

WE, the Filipino Registered Voters PER barangay, municipality, city, or province MAY


a) directly propose, enact, or amend any ordinance

b) may approve, amend or reject any ordinance enacted by the Sanggunian.



Take note of the LIMITATION for the Local INITIATIVE to only ONCE A YEAR. It only means that WE, Filipino Registered Voters, must choose most judiciously among the priorities for whatever changes that we want PER barangay, municipality, city, or province. We should not put to waste this "single bullet per year" that the crafters of the Local Government Code, then headed by Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr., sneaked into most insidiously and viciously to CURTAIL the inherent RIGHT of SOVEREIGN WILL of the Filipino Voter to CHANGE the LAWS that must be changed!


In the meantime that WE, Filipino Citizens, have yet to AMEND the Local Government Code of the Philippines via OUR invocation of our RIGHT to AMEND that law by REFERENDUM at the National Level, let us use the "single bullet per year" to the most important issue PER barangay, municipality, city, and province. That is with regard to OUR right for Local INITIATIVE.


However, when it comes to the invocation of the Local REFERENDUM, whereby WE, Filipino Citizens, MAY amend or reject any ordinance enacted by the Sanggunian PER barangay, city, municipality or province, let us MAXIMIZE the "NO LIMITATION IN NUMBER".


Ladies and Gentlemen of the "JURY", instead of wasting time on "Brouhaha over Barack Obama" behaving just like the despicable "Little Brown Americans" or "Little Obamas", inside or outside cyberspace, let us START our "Political Revolution" NOW!


So, in this political e-Group, how about starting with the most important LOCAL issue in your midst that can be CHANGED via Local REFERENDUM?


Who among you are tired of the exorbitant TAXES at the LOCAL Level? SLAM DOWN and SEAL A CAP on those LOCAL taxes! START with the MAYOR's PERMIT over which those Traditional Politicians have been drooling all over the place all these years since 1936!


While drafting for BRINGING DOWN the LOCAL TAXATION through LOCAL REFERENDUM in the more than 42,000 Barangays spread all over the 7,107 islands of the Philippine Archipelago, let US, Filipino Citizens REVIEW and EVALUATE each and every LOCAL ORDINANCE on PER Barangay, Municipality, City, and Province of OUR Republic of the Philippines.


It is TIME for US, Filipino Citizens, to RECLAIM our SOVEREIGN WILL by the POWER of LOCAL Initiative and Referendum.


There is NO need to wait for MAY 2010. TODAY, we launch the "Political Revolution" via LOCAL INITIATIVE and LOCAL REFERENDUM all over the Philippine Archipelago!