Not Another Reset

The Philippines is currently drowning in two floods: one of rising waters and another of rising outrage. The revelation that PHP 545.6 billion was allocated for flood control projects between July 2022 and May 2025—only for communities to remain underwater—is a national scandal. In the face of such betrayal, the proposal by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) for a “National Transition Council” (NTC) is emotionally resonant but politically fanciful. While the anger driving this call is valid, the solution is not. We cannot fix a broken machine by simply hitting a “reset button” every few years; we must do the tedious, unglamorous work of replacing the broken parts.

The NTC proposal suggests replacing the current administration with a “civilian-led” council to oversee a transition. This is a distraction we cannot afford. The energy spent advocating for an extra-constitutional body – which has zero chance of being implemented without a military coup or violent revolution – should instead be funneled into tangible legislative battles.

Right now, genuine opportunities for change are languishing in Congress. For instance, Senate Bill No. 35, the Anti-Political Dynasty Act filed by Senator Panfilo Lacson, and similar measures pushed by Akbayan Representative Percival Cendaña in the House, are gathering dust. Passing these bills would do more to dismantle the “entrenched corruption” BAYAN decries than any temporary council ever could. Why are we wasting political capital on “classroom discussion” scenarios like the NTC when we should be building the machinery to reclaim the Senate and the House of Representatives in the 2028 elections?

The call for an NTC reveals a chronic symptom of Philippine politics: the “Reset Button” Syndrome. Every time governance fails, the instinct is to scrap the constitution and start over, rather than strengthening institutions. This reliance on transition councils is an admission of failure by the opposition. It suggests they have not built a viable “Shadow Government” or a cohesive political party ready to govern via regular elections.

A transition council is a shortcut, and in democracy, shortcuts often lead to dead ends. We saw this in the aftermath of past upheavals where “broad-based” coalitions quickly fractured. Building a real political party that offers policy-based solutions is harder than forming a transition council, but it is the only way to break the cycle of instability.

The greatest danger of the NTC proposal is that it lets the administration off the hook. When the opposition demands the impossible—immediate mass resignation and a handover to a hand-picked council—it allows the administration to dismiss all valid criticism as “destabilization.”

The public’s focus should be laser-locked on the Flood Control Corruption Scandal. We should be talking about the allegations that PHP 1,000,000,000 in kickbacks were funneled through key legislators like Zaldy Co, or the “ghost projects” in Bulacan where billions were paid out for non-existent dikes. Instead, the NTC proposal muddies the water, allowing spin doctors to pivot the conversation from “corruption” to “coup plots.” Moderate voters, who want accountability but fear instability, are alienated by radical demands, weakening the very movement that seeks justice.

Finally, the logistics of the NTC are questionable at best. The proponents claim the council will be “representative,” including workers, farmers, and business leaders. But without an election, who decides who sits at the table? History shows that such councils often suffer from a lack of mandate and crippling infighting.

In a solution-oriented democracy, we should not be hoping for a magical council to prosecute corruption. We should be demanding that the Office of the Ombudsman and the Judiciary do their jobs. If the PHP 545.6 billion flood control budget was indeed plundered, the mechanism for justice already exists. It is slow, it is flawed, but it is the system we have. Strengthening it is the only path to a sustainable future.

Let us stop dreaming of councils and start doing the work. The floodwaters are rising, and we cannot afford to be building castles in the sky, for now.