To
Take A Stand
By Rafael
M. Alunan III
AN
IMPORTANT foundation for nation-building has been laid. The Framework
Agreement on the Bangsamoro is a welcome breakthrough for a nation
weary of civil war and eager to put their ugly past behind them on a
leap of faith, and in the hope that sincerity, trust and brotherhood
will ultimately prevail. After egotistic personalities that were
impairing confidence-building and goodwill were sidelined,
negotiations moved at a quicker pace driven by professionals armed
with much needed EQ. That said, we cannot let down our guard against
elements out to sabotage the agreement and divide us, now or later.
The
next step is to flesh out the meat and bones of this framework to
produce a finished product that everyone would want to own. The hyped
ceremony yesterday aimed to generate widespread support in its final
stage of completion, which is crucial to make this landmark agreement
work. The hard part begins after the final pact is wholeheartedly
accepted by all stakeholders as good and doable -- Muslims, Lumads,
Christians; government and rebel forces; politicians from all sides;
civil society; and the public-at-large. Everyone must make it work.
National unity, not dismemberment, is key to our desired
future.
Earlier, we received another bit of good news that the
country’s competitiveness ranking rose significantly, driven by the
government’s anti-corruption campaign and the business sector’s
integrity pledge to advance the cause of good corporate governance
culture. Our international credit rating is now just a shade below
investment grade, and we are referred to as one of Asia’s newest
tiger economies apart from Indonesia. The stock market has breached
the 5,500 mark and continues to climb. Our economic fundamentals are
strong. A just and lasting peace in Mindanao could only translate to
more stability and predictability; more jobs and increasing wealth;
less poverty, hunger and violence.
Hopefully we don’t
fumble; we can’t afford to because there is still much to do to fix
our house and protect the national interest. Despite publicized
gains, corruption and inefficiency continue to fester in all branches
of government, down to local levels, typically, fraud, theft,
pilferage, bribery, extortion and red tape. If there is anything that
turns off investors and gets them to line up elsewhere, it is
corruption and inefficiency. A palpable disconnect between policy and
practice could quickly turn potential gains to more opportunity
losses allowing competition to pull away and others behind us to
catch up.
There is much ghost-busting to be done in public
offices to prevent tens of billions from being lost to ghost
payrolls, purchases, deliveries, inventories and projects. Government
also needs to beef up its field inspection to ensure that projects
and services are done on time, and within budget and specifications.
It further needs strict internal auditors and compliance officers to
ensure that efficiency, cost effectiveness and integrity campaigns
are sustained by those responsible and accountable for it. And since
the bulk of the annual budget is for salaries and benefits, all
personnel records must be cleaned up to plug the leaks.
The
tens of billions we lose annually to corruption and inefficiency
affects our national wellbeing. It diminishes the government’s
capacity to look after our human and ecological security; our defense
and public safety; our self-esteem and standing before the world; in
other words, our total national security. It continues to subvert its
capability to reduce poverty; protect the environment; assist OFWs in
danger; ensure food and energy security; modernize public transport
systems; forge new alliances; defend our territorial integrity; and
the support needed by the private sector to develop our own defense
industry.
A case in point is a Filipino company -- United
Defense Manufacturing Corp. (UDMC) -- that US and Philippine Navy
SEALS have praised for an outstanding assault rifle called the PVAR
(pneumatic valve and rod). After subjecting it to stress tests, it
proved equal to, or better than, foreign brands, including the famed
M-4 Bushmaster. In a recent visit, I met its Chairman and CEO, Gene
Carino, who also functions as UDMC’s research and development
engineer. The 100% Filipino company holds two patents for its PVAR
system and already supplies foreign security firms protecting vessels
from pirates in the Horn of Africa.
The PVAR rifle, which uses
aircraft-grade aluminum and high-grade steel alloys, was subjected to
temperature, water, sand mud and shock drop tests. I tested it, too,
along with Air Force Gen. Antonio Sotelo (ret.) and his son, Nick,
both heroes of the EDSA February 1986 People Power Revolt; Maj. Demy
Zagala, PA SFR (A) and my nephew, Anthony Rodriguez. We noted that
the PVAR did not jam after immersing it in water; it had no muzzle
rise and negligible recoil; was operationally cleaner and cooler
compared to the direct gas impingement model. I read a report where
AFP and PNP testing units further noted that there was no “cook-off”
and no bolt or barrel overheating after firing over 7,000
rounds.
Ironically, UDMC is having great difficulty to even
get considered for bidding to supply the AFP and the PNP due to
limitations in the Procurement Law or RA 9184 (bidders must have at
least a five-year supply track record); failure to consider the
Constitution’s Filipino First policy, specifically Art. 12, Sec.
12; RA 5183, or the Flag Law; and RA 7898, or the AFP Modernization
Act. The Constitution and all three pieces of legislation uphold the
policy of preference for Filipino products. This preferential policy
is anchored on the country’s Self-Reliance Defense Posture (SRDP),
which was formulated in the 1970s.
Someone up there in
government should be connecting the dots to breathe new life and
meaning into the SRDP. Neglecting industrial development violates the
spirit and letter of the policy. It only dampens our creative,
entrepreneurial and competitive spirit. The longer we take to develop
our domestic industries, the more we will drive away our human
resources into the arms of foreign interests that, ultimately, will
benefit instead from their expertise and passion. We must arrest that
mindless situation and get serious about Filipino First (if equal to
or better than foreign competition) to bring our country to the next
level.
Peace, growth and development require exceptional
patience, endurance and commitment. Our worth as a nation demands it.
Surely, there will be progress and setbacks; successes and failures;
new paths and dead-ends. But these are all part of the journey that
should be expected. Nation-building is not for the wimpy and
faint-hearted.
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