DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN GUARDIANS PHILIPPINES
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
TALON 4, LAS PINAS CITY,PHILIPPINES
OPEN LETTERS
July 25, 2011
the critique of the ruling system are important: Intellectuals have a moral obligation to reduce the pain
and suffering of human beings. tyrannical systems impose pain and suffering on their people in various ways.
The endeavor to rid people of the evil systems and to replace them with free and democratic ones is valuable
in its own right. And the appeal of democracy so universal that even tyrants try to present their systems
as a kind of democracy (indigenous democracy, religious democracy, people's democracy).
Intellectuals and the elite should not excuse themselves from their moral duty. The intellectual elite have been injecting disappointment and hopelessness, whereas one must create hope and inject life and passion and exuberance into the society. Doing this demands self-sacrifice, boldness, and intrepidity. History has shown that giant steps have been taken only by men who were brave, idealistic, and self-sacrificing...
Yes, it is true that all problems and dilemmas are not going to be resolved by politics alone or solely through democracy. Neither is the ruling political system the only, or even the biggest, problem of society, so that by changing it all problems would be resolved. Cultural problems have cultural solutions. Economic problems have economic solutions. Social problems need social solutions. But from none of these correct premises can one deduce the false conclusion that political activity is useless, that fighting tyranny is a waste of time, or that the endeavor to establish a democratic system is futile. The same goes for the conclusion that, even if a system were to be established, it could not achieve much since not all our problems are of a political nature, cultural tradition is the root cause of all our problems, and as a result one must instead change and correct the corrupt and incorrect aspects of our culture.
When we become disappointed and hopeless, we try to find excuses for our passivity. This goes so far that even previous struggles for freedom are regarded as those of mere dreamers. While those who pursue radical goals through nonviolent methods are just walking on clouds.
Some are of the opinion that people are through with politics and no longer pay any attention to the political battles between those in power and the opposition inside and outside Philippines. People want to live, have fun, be comfortable. They want to be left alone. They do not want to be bothered. It is not important for them which system or which individuals are in power.
Let us suppose that this description of the social situation in Philippines is accurate. What conclusion are we to deduce from it? Is the duty of the intellectual, the dissident, and the political activist to be a follower of the
people on the street? Would such an approach not turn them into mere populists (those who follow the observations, beliefs, assumptions, suspicions, illusions, and imaginings of the masses)? What argument has been put forward that says all the thoughts and actions of the populace are correct? Are not all men full of faults? Then why are we to suppose that the masses are completely innocent and infallible? Their modes of behavior must be challenged and criticized in the same way that political systems are criticized. Not all problems come from the political system. One must criticize and judge the people (an intellectual is also one of the people). We must not look for what people like or dislike, but must defend freedom, democracy, and justice for the sake of the people. In this sense, one must be an idealist instead of a populist. If populism is
condemned, as indeed it is, then the flag of political activism cannot be left in the hands of the masses who, in times of crisis, have no goal other than to destroy or take vengeance, instead of establishing and consolidating a democratic system. If there is some rightful claim, it must be communicated to the people in order to establish an open society and a democratic and republican state system is just, then even if all the people of a country happen to be in favor of a tyrannical system or indifferent to its existence, a freedom-loving democratic and republican to stand against such a system, alone and by himself. The struggle for freedom is always initiated by a few people. Others will eventually join them. A political activist cannot give up with the excuse that the people are not politically motivated or do not support the fight for justice and freedom by its steadfastness and bravery
in the face of suffering, opened up the difficult road to democracy.
On the other hand, even if the demands of the people are the ones proclaimed here, who says that the people have chosen the right way to attain them or that they can ever achieve their goals within the framework of the current system? In more technical dialects, who says that the best understanding of the collective actions of
human beings is the one that they themselves have of their actions, and not that of the observer? Is not the meaning of pragmatic rationalism the proportionality between methods and means on one side, and goals and objectives on the other?
We must show the people that by adopting some kinds of methods and means they will not be able to achieve
their goals. We must bring the people onto the scene. We must show them that running away from political struggle is not the remedy for their despair. The public arena is very important. Politics is a noble endeavor and all the people should be engaged in it, when it is understood to mean the creation and distribution of political power, the critique of the ruling power, collaboration in the public arena, and judging the ruling system and those in charge. A political activist and intellectual knows that he should not make a rash analysis of the public arena and should not expect tyranny to be overcome easily and in a short span of time. Democracy is a process that needs people who not only are democratic-minded themselves but can help others become democratic minded as well.
Yes, democratic and republican people build democracies. "trust" are necessary conditions for building a democratic system. But only out of necessity and after many wars and conflicts throughout history did human
beings learn to tolerate each other, to acknowledge cultural differences and be respectful toward them, and not to deny the humanity of others because of their belief systems. So we should not believe that democracy is impossible until all the people become democratic and republican-minded...
A democratic and republican culture is the necessary condition for the establishment and consolidation of a democratic system. The sum of fundamental values and beliefs that give the political process its shape and structure is known as the political culture. The political culture establishes fundamental principles for doing politics. It determines the common beliefs and visions that shape the main foundations of a country's political life. It is impossible for the political culture of all the people to be democratic, but the culture of the political elite, who push the process of democratization forward, must definitely be democratic. A political culture
based on mutual trust, tolerance of diversity and difference, and readiness to compromise is a precondition for a stable democracy. Our intellectual elite agree on democracy and freedom now more than at any other time in our history. Everybody wants a democratic system. But the point of greater importance is that all of them should agree to resolve political conflicts through democratic and republican methods and principles. They should give greater significance to the democratic process of resolving conflicts than to the outcome of that process. It is clear, of course, that the process of getting rid of a tyrannical system does not need to have a democratic and republican character or political culture. But establishing, consolidating, and stabilizing a real democracy must accept freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press.
The process of creating a democratic and republican system needs a program with its main steps laid out clearly and the people is the first necessary step in any program that will finally lead us to a democratic and republican system.
Democracy is a sign of the existence of a strong civil society that is based on various intermediary groups, from women's associations and labor unions to cooperatives and trade councils. Such groups serve as probably the most effective tools for communicating social demands to decision makers. They can also play an important role in explaining the meaning of democracy to their members. From the start, the theory of democracy considered voluntary associations as essential complements to official representative political institutions such as political parties, legislatures, and elected executives. The freedom of citizens to organize in civil society provides a framework that allows them to express their diverse interests and opinions, and makes a multiparty democracy possible.
A MESSAGE FROM;
FRMG GILBERT ‘DRAGON’ LANGRES
DRGPI NATOINAL PRESIDENT/CEO
