JDV: Irresponsible politics could lead to authoritarian rule

It is irresponsible politics, and not any failure to amend the Constitution, that could pave the way for the return of authoritarian rule in the country, Speaker Jose de Venecia said yesterday.

At the same time, De Venecia said the country needs a strong president and a strong prime minister and proposed "a semi-presidential and semi-parliamentary system" to be adopted if the people decide to amend the 1987 Constitution.

"We should give up irresponsible, destructive politics otherwise we will end up under the control of an authoritarian government," De Venecia clarified amid reports quoting him as saying that there would be coup attempts if the 1987 Constitution was not amended.

"I am proposing a semi-presidential and semi-parliamentary system with a strong president and a strong prime minister helping each other to move the country forward," De Venecia said.

He also clarified that he never said there would be coup attempts if the Constitution was not amended.

"I’ve been in politics for a long time. I will never make such statements," De Venecia told The STAR when he visited the Senate to check on the progress of his special purpose asset vehicle bill which is now being consolidated by a bicameral conference committee.

He said he made the remark in the context of his call for the formation of a "government of national unity" and that journalists might have misunderstood him because he pointed out the case of South American countries where the legislature, executive and judiciary were constantly at odds.

"With the paralysis and gridlock, the military saw an opportunity to take over so many of these South American countries (and they) became ‘banana republics’," he said.

De Venecia said that as far as amending the Constitution was concerned, his position is reflected in the official document adopted by the summit of 21 political parties that he organized last year.

"My position is that the 2004 presidential elections should proceed as scheduled simultaneously with the election for the delegates to the constitutional convention. That was adopted by the summit of 21 political parties and that was the controlling document," De Venecia stressed.

He explained that calls for the postponement of the 2004 elections to 2007 were only some of the proposals aired by various sectors and does not necessarily reflect his position on the matter.

Amid De Venecia’s statements, Rep. Antonio Eduardo Nachura (Lakas, Western Samar), chairman of the House committee on constitutional amendments, said his committee would submit on Monday its report on 10 months public consultations on the Charter change initiative.

"There was no doubt during our nationwide consultations that there is an overwhelming clamor for constitutional change," Nachura said.

He said the committee report will limit the possible amendments to three areas: a review of the form of government, a review of the economic provisions and the mechanics for an orderly transition in the event there is a change in the form of government.

At the same time, De Venecia said that while he is proposing a strong unicameral presidential form of government, he also favors a transition to a federal system of government.

"I am for a unicameral presidential form of government with a transition period for a federal form of government," he said.

He has been pushing for a shift to a parliamentary form of government since the Eighth Congress (1987-1992).

But "civil society" leader William Esposo, chairman of the Council on Philippine Affairs (COPA), warned that "people power" could take place if the moves to amend the Charter are pursued.

"They are courting people power," Esposo said of some congressmen’s moves to amend the charter.

"The ‘system overhaul’ is a pipe dream. The people right now are not concerned with a system overhaul. This pipe dream would become their latest nightmare," Esposo told The STAR. – With reports from Sammy Santos, Marvin Sy