Despite attendant controversies, the 2007 elections proved to be an improvement over similar exercises in the past. Thanks largely to the combined vigilance of various watchdogs and the public in general. Violence, electoral fraud, etc., did happen; but can and should be reduced- if not totally eliminated. In civilized societies such as ours, one instance of killing or cheating is one too many. Arguably, these long standing maladies can only be addressed thru institutional reforms established by appropriate laws.
Priority issues for legislation:
1. Return to the 2-Party System. The multi-party has been responsible for the personality-oriented campaigns rendering platforms irrelevant. Coalition’s platforms strike rightly the voters as nothing but empty slogans that are forgotten as soon as the campaign period is over. With only two parties, nomination processes can be more stringent, like putting on hold until the next elections the candidacy of politicians who changed parties; and, failure of those eventually elected to do their job becomes a liability of both the party and the individuals.
2. Elect Senators by Region. Should there be 1 per region- 12 regular & 2 autonomous; and 2 for NCR, the Senate can be reduced from 24 to 16 members. Another option: 2 each for NCR & 12 regular regions, and 1 each for the 2 autonomous regions, for a total of 28-man Senate. Any cost deviation in the maintenance of the Senate resulting from either shift may be negligible; but there will be marked reduction in the candidates’ campaign expense; thus eliminating corruption.
3. Reduce the Size of Congress to no more than 200, or 2 representatives per 1 million population (based on the estimated 83 million Filipinos); or fix each province to no more than
4. Abolish Political Dynasties. There should be no quibbling in crafting an Anti-Dynasty law. Simply, a graduating elected official should not field any member of his family to replace him/her, nor be allowed to run for a lower post in the same year he/she graduates; and, candidates in the same election year should be limited to one per family regardless of level. Ideally, the president, vice president, Supreme Court justices, commissioners of the COMELEC and officials of other similar Constitutional bodies, senators and cabinet secretaries should have no immediate family members running in any senatorial, congressional, gubernatorial and/or mayoral (and the vice of the latter two) race. Family ties here refer to husband-wife, parent-children, & siblings.
The Issue is not Competence; but more of leveling the playing field, and ensuring that the opportunity to indulge in politics is open to all qualified. Finally, no one with unfinished term should be allowed to run for another post (except the Presidency) unless he resigns first from his current office. In hindsight, the demise of the 2-party system could be traced to the enduring political dynasties that likewise spawned personality-oriented campaigns and unmitigated misuse of CDF. As to campaign expenses, relevant laws need to be reviewed aimed at fixing lower limits, easier expense accounting and instituting penalties to halt violations.
5. Abolish the CDF. Abolition of pork barrel could pave the way for a more cost-effective legislation with our law-makers focused on their real legislative job.
Other areas for consideration:
1. A vote for a presidential candidate should automatically be counted as vote for his vice presidential partner. Leave it to the party to ensure the president gets a good team. This provision addresses the unlikely case of a presidential death:
2. To further strengthen the Executive branch, a cabinet secretary removed from office under a cloud should not be recycled or tossed to another department. Moving cabinet secretaries from one department to another reflects grossly wrong executive decision, or could be perceived as consequence and/or precursor of some underhanded schemes or prearranged agreements.
3. Abolish the party-list system; it allows the exploitation of the sector represented - some of which are legal fiction.
4. Tenure of elective officials needs to be reviewed, too, with the end in view of reverting to the 4-year term (8 years for the Senators) with one reelection. Holding of national (President/VP & Senators) and local elections shall be alternated every two years.
5. Congress should complete the budget process at least 3 months before their implementation. A reenacted budget indicates gross inefficiency, unnecessarily eats up public funds, and encourages corruption at all levels, in case of failure to pass the budget on time, expenses for consequent extended sessions should be charged to Congress members’ individual expense accounts.
6. Govt. officials who have their names attached to govt. projects or posters containing technical details of such projects should be considered to have misused govt. resources, be suspended and be prosecuted under appropriate laws against graft & corrupt practices. Having mentioned these laws, they appear sufficient; but, are wanting in implementation; relevant campaigns, if any, are hardly felt even if violators show-off their loots.
7. Implement the law on computerized voting now.
In conclusion, nothing in this Wish List grants additional privileges to public officials more than what is already provided for in the Constitution; hence, mere legislative acts may suffice to initiate the desired changes instead of a Charter Change. As they presuppose more people participation in the nation’s political affairs, and tempering the predilection by certain quarters to treat government posts as family franchise, the consequent system could define the very essence that guided the framers of our Basic Law. In realizing equality for all, individual potentials are made more manifest, and could be harnessed for the betterment of all.
Lt.Gen. Romeo B. Dominguez AFP(Ret)
dominguezrb@gmail.com
12 June 2007
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