Dear Editor,

“Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution that must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties... We, the people, are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” — Abraham Lincoln

Dear lawmakers and government officials, it would do you well to rather serve the country (sans the rot and rut of partisanship and myopic governance) by quickly switching your passion from cha-cha (Charter change) to doing sensible things that would truly solve our nation’s problems head-to-head, toe-to-toe, eyeball-to-eyeball, and thereby alleviate the plight of the Filipino people.

Set aside politics and political ambitions. Go back to your seats — or to yourselves.

Address inflation — right, straight and plumb. Crush the massive and unabated corruption in the government, jail the crooks and thugs, chuck confidential/intelligence and pork barrel funds, uphold justice, promote righteousness, resist oppression, defeat official inanities, craft needed electoral reforms, eradicate addictions and vices — but foster human rights and preserve human lives. Beat the real terrorists.

Work on developing the nation the right, sane and wise way. Stop importations, patronize our own, pulverize smuggling, dismantle cartels, help small businesses, break/smash political turpitude, modernize truly, not “contemporize” autocracy, secure our territories, spank the naive, bullies and bullying. Check social inequities, bless the destitute and marginalized, nurture and nourish local production, and thus create local jobs and invigorate our local economy.

Narrow the gap between the rich and poor, educate the unlettered and indigent, civilize neglected communities in the countryside with potable water, electricity, roads and internet access. Care for future Filipino generations, love yourself, humanize politics, open blinded eyes, heal the sick, raise the dead, etcetera.

In other words, improve and raise the quality of life of Filipinos, but retain the country for Filipinos.

Ponder this: Even if a nation has the most beautiful, most ideal and “most perfect” Constitution in the world, it would be useless and worthless if the hearts of that nation’s leaders are not right and upright, rotten to the core. Take a mirror to see and realize what I mean — or you are compelled to buy one if you don’t have one, but not made in China, please.

First things first. Work on what is on the inside of each one of you (which no physical mirror can reveal) — and not on what is on the surface/icing of the land’s fundamental laws and statutes. Take your shades or blinkers off. Dare not tamper with the purity and sanctity of our Constitution — with strokes, kernels and staples (vile and vicious) — hidden, mixed and diluted underneath. Tampering is not the word, but the tempering of greed.

The Philippine Constitution, in its current form and ethos, for all its imperfections and “flaws,” is good so far, workable and governable, and will never ever need any change or amendment — unless and until (perhaps) the hearts that rule and govern our nation are changed and “amended.” Otherwise, there would always be a need to change and amend it — forever and ever.

Meanwhile, how true is it that the additional budget of P12 billion allotted (cannily) by Congress to Comelec is intended and being earmarked (verily) for the cha-cha plebiscite? Outrageous! In view of this (among several others), Rep. Edcel Lagman and a few more seeing lawmakers have solid reasons in asking the Supreme Court to nullify the P449.5-billion unprogrammed funds in the national budget or General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2024. Dubious. Do justly.

Moral/spiritual amendment, not constitutional amendment. Economic corruption, not economic provision. Attracting development, not attracting “investment” (or folly). Divine initiative or supreme people initiative, not “People’s Initiative”. Heart change, not Charter change. New Filipinos, not “New Philippines.”

Reni M. Valenzuela

renivalenzuelaletters@yahoo.com