As the old saying goes: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  In our case, the present system of government is not only broken, it has caused the country to become financially broke—worse, it's a nation on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Perhaps, the time has come for a change in our system of government because it's just not working.  "Kailangan ayusin at palitan ang sistema," is what we generally hear from people.

We're not going to argue what kind of democratic system we should have because we have enough intellectuals from the academe and other sectors of society to come out with a unique system that will work for the Filipinos.  It is time to fix a broken nation.

Watching the "honorable" congressmen make a spectacle of themselves in the House hearings the other day simply gives you an idea of where we are today.  They spent more than three hours bickering over inane issues like the venue and the rules before the questioning started.

At the Senate, we have two characters posing as witnesses making faces at each other and calling each other liars on nationwide TV.  These twin bill soap operas are very entertaining, cracking people up, but slowly and surely breaking up the nation.

Meanwhile, the more pressing issues like rising oil prices, heavy taxes, and grinding poverty are neglected while the honorable men of Congress spend time, money, and energy "in aid of legislation" instead of "in aid of the people."

We are like a broken record.  Four years ago, we were talking about jueteng, today, we're still talking about jueteng.  Nineteen years ago, we had EDSA 1, today, there's talk of another EDSA.

When you think about it, the plot of the drama remains unchanged.  Only the names and faces of the cast have changed.  We just keep on repeating and repeating ourselves like a broken record while the country gets poorer.

International analysts have already assessed that one more extra-legal change of leadership is going to send this nation down the tube.  In fact, when businessmen analyze variables for investment purposes, they already factor in scandals and the peso's reaction as part of the equation for decision-making.

Foreign expats keep asking—Why can't people exert energy in looking for ways and means to improve the system, instead of finding ways to break it down?

Changing the way this government is run and ultimately changing our Constitution, may save the day for us and most likely save GMA's Presidency, defusing the present crisis.  Instead of the habitual change of leadership through the parliament of the streets, a leader must remove this "holier-than-thou" attitude of a lot of people.

Somewhere along the line, people are guilty of some form of dishonesty or another.  No one involved in cheating will admit it, but cheating in elections has been around since this country learned to vote.  As the Bible says, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

At the rate we're going, everyone is throwing stones at each other.  It is time to start from ground zero or tabula rasa in Latin.  Instead of throwing stones at each other, we should use those stones to build a better, stronger nation.

People are calling for GMA's resignation, ouster, or for snap elections.  What would probably be more acceptable is for her to call a Constitutional Convention that will make her a transitional president segueing into a smooth turnover to the new order.

Ideally, it must be a system that suits the Filipinos' temperament, culture, and interests.  Apolinario Mabini once said, "Constitutions are meant to be changed and amended if they don't suit the people."

The Constitution of the United States has been in existence since 1789.  Made responsive by 27 amendments, it still endures to this day.  Pres. James Madison drafted the amendments to the Constitution that were to become the Bill of Rights, which blazed the trail for other democracies to follow.

The 1947 Japanese Constitution shifted to a parliamentary system that guaranteed certain fundamental rights by replacing the previous imperial system under the Meiji Constitution.  Its Article 9 is noteworthy because it renounced Japan's right to wage war.  With the war on terror and the threat from North Korea, we shall soon see if the Japanese will amend Article 9.

The US and Japan are defined by their constitutions.  These have endured through the years primarily because it took foresight, coupled with careful study and consensus building for these peoples to craft charters that work for them and that are responsive to change.  One thing is certain—the American-style presidential system has failed us—miserably.

Certainly, the present system has weakened our institutions.  The mere fact that the President can be wiretapped illustrates this weakness.  The system has made the Office of the President vulnerable and impotent.

At present, GMA can no longer be certain who her real allies are and is paranoid about another People Power.  Technically, she can no longer declare Martial Law by herself.  She needs congressional approval after a specific period.

The judiciary is an institution that has gone beyond its role when it intervenes on economic matters.  The legislative branch is another institution that is doing something else instead of legislating.  It is now into investigation, prosecution, and judgment—all rolled into one.  Where is the balance of power?  It has simply become dysfunctional.

Being 107 years old, this nation is considered young.  But it is beginning to look older than its age because of the stressful politics that have been imposed on it.

Changing leaders is no longer an option—Changing the system is the only option.  Ultimately, the most compelling reason to forge a new system is for us to get organized.

A wise man once said, "There are really no poor nations, there are only the governors and the governed who refuse to get organized and accept change."  If this nation is to survive, it must now be ready to make that change.

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