ABOUT five years ago I visited General Joe Almonte in his office in Greenhills. I told him about the plans of my young Philippine Centrist friends to set up a principled Centrist Democratic Party with the purpose of overcoming the patronage system with all the misery it brings to the Filipinos. His spontaneous reaction: “Peter, you must be crazy! Do you know what you are up against?” I asked: “OK, but what other options do you have to overcome the hardening poverty, failing judicial system, violence, impunity, lack of perspectives for the young people?”
It took him a minute before he answered: “You are right, we have tried all other options and it did not work. I think it is impossible, but I support you. You have to try it because the only other option left will be a revolution, and this could be very bloody.”
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