ARGUMENTUM AD POPULUM IS NEXT TO ANARCHY

By Bayawanon

Argumentum Ad Populum is an argument by the majority stressing that they are right since they belong to the many, it is a type of argument which do not hear the other party's contentions or give credence to the others' reasons because they believe that their statements are right for the majority share their philosophies. This type of argumentation may not rely to the laws of the land anymore for they believe that their arguments are better than the laws crafted by the authorities. If this would be the case, then the well entrenched principle that "we are living in a government of laws and not of men" will be trampled if not be desecrated.

If Argumentum Ad Populum would be the general rule and that the "rule of law" would be an exception, then I would say that we would back to the olden days of the "state of nature" where might would always be right, and if that happens expect that many will fall to the pit of death because of fabricated evidences because the majority believes it. Expect further that the antique Roman Law will be implemented in the Philippine Islands since in Roman Law, every accused is "guilty until proven innocent".

If this would be the case then DEMOCRACY wil be abandoned and the once democratic Filipino people will form part to a state under ANARCHY, however I believe that they still would be enlightened for I believe that darkness cannot long last against the light of democracy that would reign supreme and that would guide and enlighten the people eventually.

I hope and pray that the people would not just follow what is popular since not all popular principles always hold water and not all popular matters are always right, but instead they should follow what is right, right principles may not always be popular but everyone must go and look for it for it is always there for the good of the people but the people have to discover it, since in righteousness there is truth and the truth will set the people free. Amen.

DIVINE RIGHTS OF KINGS THEORY

By Bayawanon

The Divine Rights of Kings Theory was espoused by the royals in Europe during the Middle Ages until the time of Reformation. This doctrine provides that Kings were chosen by GOD and that they were infallible or can do no wrong for they were the chosen ones. Nowadays, kings, emperors and other royalties are no longer common aside from few countries like Spain, Japan, England, Thailand etc. but these countries nowadays, usually limit the powers of these royals by way of there constitutions.

In connection to this, I have observed that this doctrine or theory has resurfaced again since there are leaders now who are acting as if they are infallible, that their official acts cannot be assailed since their actions are perfect. They are treated by their followers like kings who cannot possibly make faults and that they are almost praised whether or not their doings can or cannot attribute for the good of the land they are governing.

Their followers treat them as if they are the saviors of the land, anyway I cannot blame their supporters for they want instant CHANGE. But the problem is this... CHANGE cannot be had instantly for it is a process, there is no shortcuts for us to attain success, and we cannot solve the problem by solving it by way of another problem since that way the so-called change is not actually authentic.

The Divine Rights of Kings Theory has long been abandoned by history, so please do not reinstate it for it would tantamount to IDOLATRY. Idolatry is purely and simply fanaticism, it is a practice where a follower pursues his/her idol whether they are right or wrong and it is not politically correct to do so. I hope the people will regain their sanity and start to know how to discern for the right path to CHANGE, since they are actually the key to change and not their leaders who act as the MESSIAHS of the land. So be it.

SCRAP THE PORK BARREL SYSTEM FOR GOOD

By Bayawanon

The pork barrel which makes the senators and congressmen become more hypertensive is back. People were protesting against this congressional fund during the time of Aquino III on the plain and simple reason that it is a discretionary fund and thus would be subject to too much abuse or corruption. This was scrapped by the Supreme Court when the same was still called PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) since it was ruled by the same court to be unconstitutional, now it is back under the new administration since it is now a proposed budget in the incoming fiscal year 2017, of course it is back with a new name so as to make the people believe that it is already terminated for good. Tsk, tsk, tsk we are simply running and roaming around the bush, good for them for they are in power, bad for the people for they have chosen the wrong ones.

The pork barrel system is very useful to congressmen and senators who have nothing to do in the Senate and the House of Representatives but to make their seats clean and shiny, since this fund may be used in infrastructure programs which are not LEGISLATIVE in nature, take note that the senators' and congressmen's  primordial duty is to make, alter and repeal laws for the good of the people as can be gleaned from the sacred Constitution of the Republic. This pork barrel is actually good if used in proper ways, but mostly it is used by the solons for purposes of re-election and for personal gain because of the fact that it is a DISCRETIONARY FUND, hence the rules of accounting is not properly observed and since the same rule is very elastic, because of this CORRUPTION is not remote or impossible.

The pork barrel can make a president stronger for if the same is given to the congressmen and senators regularly, the president would have more influence over them, ergo this discretionary congressional fund would give the president more grip of power regarding CONGRESS as a whole and opposition against him in totality would be negated. This reality would probably make the head of state a despot or a totalitarianist since the fulcrum of the balance of power between congress and the presidency would tilt in favor of the latter, ergo the check and balance between the presidency and congress would be ineffectual.

In connection with my above premises, I hope and pray that the present administration would reconsider its stand regarding the resurgence of the PORK BARREL SYSTEM, since I honestly believe that it would tantamount to any situation inimical to the interest of the people and it would violate the long time honored principle of SALUS POPULI EST SUPREMA LEX "the welfare of the people is the supreme law".

POLITICAL CHARISMA PHILIPPINE STYLE EXPLAINED

By Bayawanon

My personal definition of CHARISMA is the state of anyone of being loved even if he/she is undesirable. There are many political people whose leadership styles are not good but keep on winning during election seasons, they win because of buying votes, threats, intimidation, duress and cheating and yet the people are not tired of re-electing them even if after the elections it becomes apparent that they abuse their political powers by having access to government transactions for personal gains, siphoning the funds of the government that are entrusted to them to the detriment of the state and worst is when they start to violate the rights of the common people who ironically elected them to office.

These political charismatics are everywhere in the country and they even keep on thriving because of the political immaturity of the people who elected them who do not know what principles are all about, and who only follow the call of money because of dire necessity and of too much nothingness. These type of voters are willing to sell their votes just to remedy the hunger that they experience in exchange of years of political suffering and hopelessness.

What saddens me more is this, the political traitors who plundered and betrayed the country who actually need to be thrown and jailed in the limbo of oblivion because of their undoing become more popular and desirable because of the power of social media which are being used by them and their families as a vehicle for their political propaganda painting them to be heroes, statesmen and political pragmatists when in truth and in fact they were plunderers, non respecter of human rights and traitors to the country, its people and its interest. Most of the victims of these type of political charismatics are the mellineals who do not know the atrocities and the loot that these type of leaders were doing decades ago, these new generation members would easily believe on the information fed on them without proper research and investigation.

Because of the power of the money of these political magicians, intelligent people are lured to be their propagandists in exchange of money, fame and/or influence, for the former to rain and flood information in the social media, print media, air waves and television channels to make them supermen and eventually install them in the pedestal of greatness. That's the way political charismatics are formed or made of in our beloved country, the pearl of the Orient Seas, the Philippines, and the sad truth is this, this become possible because the people especially the new generation do not care about their future or maybe they're simply becoming too politically naive or ignorant to the extent that they cannot manage to unravel truth from falsehood.

DRUG, CORRUPTION AND CRIME FIGHTING ARE NOT THE ONLY SOLUTIONS FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

By Bayawanon

A former teacher of mine would tell me "what's in the economy? If the problems of drugs and criminality will be solved, everything will simply follow". Now there is so much focus about solving drugs and criminality but alas our economy is moving like a turtle and what's worse is it is going downward spiral. Now, with the almost complete obliteration of drugs, criminality and corruption, the economy is still going down south, I believe that the solution to criminality, drugs and corruption is not the same solution to our economic woes.

Of course the anti-thesis to criminality, drugs and corruption can be a factor for a country to pole vault economically but it is not the only reason why a country would be progressive, things like foreign relations and economic policy of a great leader have also major roles for a country to be economically vibrant. In connection to this, the recent economic disruption like the poor showing of the Philippine Stock Exchange and the depreciation of the Philippine peso cannot simply be solved by means of policing the criminals, corrupts, drug addicts and the drug pushers but also to improve the fiscal/economic policy and foreign policy of the supreme leader of the country.

Why would the economic and foreign policy of the chief executive of the land matter in economic development? You just imagine if the greatest leader of a certain country is a trouble maker, will it follow that foreign investors would invest in the thriving businesses of the country? Of course not, if the chief of all leaders of a country looks for trouble internationally, then the foreign capitals of foreign businessmen won't come in since there is a sign of economic uncertainty that may probably happen for the plain and simple reason that the supreme leader of the land is very hostile to some members of the international community where some of the future investors belong.

How could the foreign investors of great countries invest in the Philippines if the number one operator of our country is like a hawk who is trying to sow unfriendliness if not hostilities to other countries which we think can succor us in times of distress? The United States is the number one economy in the world and we cannot do with it but to accept that fact that it can be a great trading partner of the Philippines. The European Union where the other top ten economies of the world belong like Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy cannot also be taken for granted since it also plays a major role in world economy.

The economic policy of the former administration must stay if not improved if its working soundly, it must not be obliterated because "we don't have to destroy in order to build". An administration must have a tax plan which is pro-poor and not pro-management or pro-capitalist and the Philippines need to have a good collector of taxes in the persons of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs. I believe that these are the factors for the Philippines to have a stable economy and I hope that the present leadership of our country the Philippines would pay attention to this little suggestion of mine and hoping further that the illustrious president will reconstruct all of his domestic, economic and foreign policies for the greater glory of the greatest number of the FILIPINO people BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.