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Speaker Prospero Nograles says that strengthening the country’s
political party system is among the priorities of the House under
his stewardship. I fully agree with him. Unfortunately, the Senate
does not share the priority and under a bicameral system, no law can
be passed without the concurrence of both the House and the Senate.
The House passed bills strengthening political
parties in the 12th and 13th Congress. A similar bill authored by
Sen. Edgardo Angara reached the Senate plenary in the 13th Congress
but it got stuck until Congress adjourned sine die. Now, several
bills had been filed in the House and these had been consolidated by
the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms headed by Rep.
Teodoro Locsin Jr. of Makati City. Meanwhile, Senator Angara has
resurrected his bill but it still has to undergo public hearing by
the committee headed by Sen. Richard Gordon.
Most of the politicians see political parties as
mere instruments for their candidacies and not as vehicles for the
realization of a vision. Thus, they change their political party
affiliations whenever it suits their selfish interests. Rep. Mat
Defensor who is asking former Speaker Jose de Venecia to resign from
Lakas was a Liberal until the 2007 election. He found refuge in
Lakas after the LP headed by Sen. Mar Roxas did not endorse him as
official party candidate. There are many others who join a party not
out of a common vision but out of expediency.
Without a strong political party system, our
so-called political parties will continue to revolve around the
personalities heading them. As it is, a party will either swim or
sink depending on the political fortune of its leader. Reforming the
party system is the only way to end our personality-oriented
politics. Political butterflies will be a no-no. A strong party also
helps hasten the implementation of a program of government.
Despite its obvious need, the strengthening of
political parties appears in the middle of nowhere. Selfish
interests will prevent it from becoming a reality. If it is enacted
now, parties like the Liberal Party, the Nacionalista Party, the
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino and the PDP-Laban will find it
impossible to recruit members from among incumbent officials. Under
a reformed party system, they can grow only by winning more posts in
elections, not by raiding other parties which is easier done when
one becomes the ruling party.
‘Undeserved’ promotion
The Commission on Appointments was in an uproar
when it found out that an Army officer recommended for promotion to
the rank of colonel had been convicted of embezzlement of P130,000
of government funds, and of acts prejudicial to the military
service.
Sen. Dick Gordon is mystified how the twin
convictions of Lt. Col. Jesus Anquilo escaped the notice of the
Philippine Army and of J-G of the Armed Forces of the Philippines .
Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, a former AFP chief of staff, noted that despite
the provisions of the Articles of War, Anquilo was neither sent to
hard labor nor discharged from the service.
I wonder if there were many more military
officers like Anquilo who were recommended for promotion
despite their being convicted by civil or military courts. It is a
good thing that many members of the Commission on Appointments are
becoming more vigilant with their duties.
Speaking of vigilance, reader Jerry Quibilan had
this comment on my previous column, “General’s promotion got
Jamby’s goat.” I had written about how Gen. Nestor Sadiarin got
his stars despite the vow of Sen. Jamby Madrigal to block it, all
because of her lapse of attention.
“Sen. Jamby Madrigal is not vigilant
enough. She is far from the former Sen. Pacita (Madrigal, her aunt)
but then again, those were the good old days when the Senate was
mostly filled with brilliant and illustrious people,” he wrote.
On her unparliamentary remarks that were later
stricken off the record, Quibilan said she could do a better job
“if only she could choose her words well.” He also agreed that
Madrigal is a fighter.
“Unfortunately, the battlefield that she
has chosen is full of stones, arrows and others that will make you
lose the battle,” he added.
While we are still on the CA, another member,
Rep. Emmylou Talino-Mendoza, wants qualified female nominees to fill
the vacant posts vacated by Chairman Guillermo Carague of the
Commission on Audit and Chairman Karina David of the Civil Service
Commission who had completed their terms.
Mendoza also wants women to be appointed to two
vacant positions of commissioners at the Commission on Elections.
She noted that while the Comelec is supposed to have seven members,
only four are sitting with newly appointed Chairman Jose Melo
refusing to serve until the CA confirms him.
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