An Open Letter to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

            All roads led to EDSA that day if you remember. It was a sight to behold as waves of people kept on coming, converging on the same corner where Filipinos once stood for to oust a dictator. All indignant for what they deemed as death of democracy, their voices echoed the sheer resolve of the Filipinos for social change. .
             The street parliament may not one in pushing you for presidency. But as followers of the rule of law, you carried on the torch of leading the nation. .
             All is positive on your efforts to bring justice, reconciliation, and positive changes in the bureaucracy. As one of the sectors that catapulted you into power, the youth laid out its most urgent demands - higher subsidy for education, moratorium on tuition increases, decent employment and respect for democratic rights - positive that the new President would lift a finger to address any of these issues.
             Now, three years since then, it is unfortunate that you seemingly lack the political will to effect social change. For the youth, this is the time of unprecedented rising costs of education and high time of unemployment. What is more appalling is the government's obvious bent to eventually relinquish its constitutional mandate to finance public education.
             And the promises of EDSA were conveniently sidetracked to politicking and now, seemingly forgotten. The chronic crisis is here again.
             The President that the Filipinos have pinned their hopes for unrelenting reforms gave in to the forces of the status quo and to the politics of self-interest. And for this, the Filipinos always remember. .
             How can you hammer down radical measures through the bureaucracy if your policies are geared towards cutting deals left and right with potential election backers? Your "strong republic" has become sheer display of naked military power and hollow promises of alleviating poverty. Reneging in some of your most controversial pronouncements is not seen as an exercise of political freedom.