Group lobbies for agenda-based politics

CEBU, Philippines - A group, Citizens Watch, is advocating for agenda-based rather than personality-based politics in support of political and economic reforms in the country.

“Let’s look at what we need to do for this country. Look at what issues we have to advocate and let’s later on choose the candidate which we think can articulate these issues and hopefully bring about much needed change for this country to move forward,” said lawyer Aristotle Batuhan, one of the convenors of the movement, during yesterday’s 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza.

An example he cited is the need to change the 1987 Constitution, which would already be 30 years old by the time the next national elections will be held in 2016.

He said the 1987 Constitution is the reaction of the dictatorship of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

“Everything there is more on anti-Marcos rather than a Constitution of the country and what needs to be done for this country,” Batuhan said.

Other issues that need to be looked into include the single six-year term of the president, a president and a vice president coming from two different political parties, and political dynasty.

“We need some political changes and I think Constitutional Change in the next term should be looked at in a more dispassionate and in a more objective manner,” he said.

Batuhan is suggesting holding a Constitutional Convention to propose changes to the Constitution on the first year of the next administration.

The organization is advocating the right governance for a working government, which includes accountability, sound economics for sustained and inclusive growth, and efficient delivery of services through infrastructure development.

Orlando Oxales, executive director of Stratbase Research Institute-Citizens Watch, said their strong advocacy is on political reforms.

“What we want to advocate, we should thrive and push political leadership to institute political reform that would be strategic and would destroy all of these personality-based politics,” he said.

Oxales shared the group has been very active in all hearings in Congress and regularly submitting position papers even straight to Malacañang.

They are now also part of the Department of Energy’s Task Force whose objective is to lower energy costs of the country.

“Paminawon ta depende na unsa ka lanug ang tingug, ang importante ang grassroots level mapasabot nato ug mapatuhop ang issues para kun daghan ta, mapugos gyud og paminaw ang naa sa pwesto,” Batuhan added. — (FREEMAN)