PBBM: Ka Mon (pen name of Ramon Vicente, a farmer leader in an unpublished novel titled "BIRTH OF A NEW REPUBLIC")-- What's this I hear that they have given me 20 days more to deliver to the people our campaign promise of P20 per kilo of rice and the palay farmers should also get a better price on their palay, now only P 12 per kilo and way below their breakeven cost that has discouraged them to produce more.
KA MON: Yes, Mr. President. You have "promises to keep…” as Robert Frost said.
PBBM: You mean my Presidency is connected to my lifespan and my destiny?
KA MON: Yes Sir. They say God chooses who should be leaders as he has chosen Moses and you for the Filipinos and not just the businessmen.
PBBM: What then am I expected to do for the next 20 days?
KA MON: They will no longer wait for you and your technocrats to do whatever plans you have. They now expect you to harness the resources of the whole of government (not just DA) and the private sector to produce rice and vegetables.
PBBM: And what if I cannot because of the slowness of the bureaucracy?
KA MON: Then you declare the whole country under an EMERGENCY due to Economic Calamity (however you call it) for the LGUs to use their funds to produce food for self-sufficiency in an organized manner with Professional Management ala GO 47.
PBBM: That's a perfect strategy so we will have a people's participation and keeping the military in their quarters.
KA MON: Or declare a Federal Government that will take over under the Malolos Constitution of our first republic (from the dictatorship of Gen. Emilio.Aguinaldo) which was never abrogated or nullified by the pro-American 1935 Constitution and succeeding constitutions. (You can then form a Constitutional Body. composed of representatives from the 14 Basic Sectors identified by the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), which you chair. To avoid. politics and positioning, convert the NAPC to be a Constitutional Commission that will. eventually serve as the Constitutional Oversight Body when reverted to its original. mandate. Since this will take time, you must revive the GO 47 that the APO issued at a time like this requiring all profitable corporations to import rice for their employees and sold to them at affordable prices. They had 4 options then and the option to link with farmers to produce rice mostly succeeded and was classified as their corporate social responsibility. I should know because we used the rebel leaders to form Production Brigades to support the program as everyone was in survival mode.
PBBM: Oh. I like that idea. How did they do it?
KA MON: Again, Mr. President, Like Ka Sonny says "read my lips."
PBBM. So what else must I do to keep my Presidency?
KA MON: First you regularize the l.6 million government employees under a job order. They will then be loyal to the stability of the government. and your administration. Then issue an Executive Order to shift to sectoral representation. the agriculture, business and the commercial sector including the military to restructure the political system towards abolishing political district representation and adopt a parliamentary system of government with sectoral representation which the APO started.
PBBM: Again, you're pulling my legs.
Ka Mon: This is just a fair warning to you. They might pull your pants down if your administration now is "business as usual" and weak. Our people have grown tired watching the zarzuela of our politicians and political dynasties. Make this their last "hurrah." The people will then find you as their savior, Mr. President. Pls, do not fail the 31 million that voted for you and the 16 million poor that gave you the margin as they gave it to PRRD before.