Ask not what your Congress can do - Gotcha

It's theoretically the mightiest of government's three coequal branches. It holds power to tax and spend money, confirm Supreme Court justices and unseat a President, set national policy and ratify international pacts. Yet Congress doesn't exude or exert its force; voters regard senators and congressmen like governors and mayors, that is, fund sources for K-B-L -- kasal, binyag, libing.

It's not so much the people's fault than what legislators are doing -- or not doing. Senators are too busy with grandstanding commentaries and inquiries instead of senior statesmanship. Congressmen spend more time fighting over pork and perks than with passing good laws.

Congress leaders are to blame for the malady. They surrendered long ago their constitutional powers to the President and his nonexistent LAMP party. Instead of giving vision and direction, they preoccupy themselves with getting and securing position.

As incoming Senate President in April, Frank Drilon exposed his top priority by egging Joseph Estrada to sack Malacañang's legislative liaison. This week, Pro Tempore Blas Ople, the man whom Drilon replaced, bared his deepest thoughts by calling for a law to give more power and money to the Office of the First Lady -- his birthday tribute of sorts to Loi Ejercito. At the House, Speaker Manny Villar is showing great skills in counting how many months he has managed to stay in position and how many laws of local importance he has led 225 people's representatives have passed.

Past legislators have lamented that RP has tens of thousands of laws, most of which are outdated and contradictory. Some date back to the Commonwealth; others are dubious Marcos decrees. Today's legislators continue to pass new laws of doubtful enforcement, among them the Clean Air Act and the Seat Belt Act. Dozens of bills pend in committees, like those on computer hacking and clean water, simply because legislators living in an age long gone fail to see their urgency.

The order of the day for Congress is clear. Whatever new laws need passage are only those that reflect new times and thinking. Senators and congressmen need not waste time on supposed revolutionary ideas that are mere rehashes of tried and tested ones. Past legislators had not had enough time to finish reviewing old laws to repeal inapplicable ones and codify the related remaining. Some old laws require mere updating of amounts of fees and fines; most cry for good enforcement. Perhaps a new law or amendment is one that severely would punish officials who fail to enforce, implement or fund old ones.

At the start of their terms or regular sessions, Congress leaders mouth such lofty aims as economic reform and social development. All this can be done by scrutinizing the national budget that Malacañang submits each year. Yet Congress has fallen into the trap of fixing its work schedule solely on the budget, and squeezing its other tasks into the spare time. It shows the legislature's surrender of the initiative to the executive. Worse, spare time is used to play around or prepare for the next election.

It won't need a doctor of political science to fearlessly forecast the failure of resumed peace talks between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Both sides are negotiating in bad faith, with no desire for a ceasefire to bring them to a genuine meeting of minds.

Government has declared an all-out war after finally admitting that it doesn't intend to abide by past agreements. Chief negotiator retired Gen. Edgardo Batenga has called it a big error for his predecessor Gen. Orlando Soriano to recognize MILF's 47 camps. That's the reason why, six hours after the two sides signed an agreement to let PNP deal with MILF mulcters at checkpoints on Narciso Ramos Highway, AFP launched an offensive. So what will guarantee MILF that government will abide by new agreements this time, more so with Estrada's June 30 deadline for it to lay down arms?

MILF claims to be considering expanded Mindanao autonomy in lieu of separate Islamic state. This, it said, because majority of Muslims favor sticking it out with the Republic they have come to accept despite diverse historical routes. But MILF is calling for ceasefire only for breathing spell to replenish its men and arms. This is what it had done in the past. It wouldn't care less for majority sentiment. Men who carry guns don't think of democracy. The longer the gun, the farther the desire to talk peace.

INTERACTION. Buddy Seno, Fairview, QC: You finally devoted main space, instead of past short digs, to Mayor Mathay's inept run of QC (Gotcha, 31 May 2000). But I doubt if he'll heed your cause for sanity on Commonwealth Ave. He's on the way out anyway, so why would he worry about headaches.

Does he want his son to win, Buddy?

R. Infante, ibm.net: I laud your piece on chaotic traffic on Commonwealth, and agree with you that Mathay & Co. ignore obstructing hawkers since they represent votes. That's what's wrong with our system: mayors protect even law-breaking voters. My morning pet peeve is southbound EDSA-Santolan, where bus drivers ignore No Stopping-No Loading signs, thus blocking even vehicles going up the flyover. Yet it's right beside Camp Crame, the police HQ. Afternoons, it's northbound EDSA-Cubao, where buses block flyover entrances and exits.

Those are all in QC, too, R.

Benjie Alvarez, BF-Parañaque: John Osmeña may have earned pogi points from his Malacañang idol for ill remarks about Cardinal Sin (Gotcha, 29 May 2000), but did he change public impression about his doubtful personality?

Rose Marie A. Sarte, edsamail.com: Reading George Reedy's comment on "great and mediocre presidents," maybe we should pity Erap because he can't seem to act his role as our President, the most important role in his life, a fitting honor to cap his illustrious career as an actor.

Bessie Icasiano, aol.com: Erap is a big joke, but the joke's on us.

Guido de Guia, edsamail.com: If Erap can throw the Abu Sayyaf and other Mindanao gangs behind bars where they belong, Filipinos might forget his shortcomings and hail him as the new Magsaysay. Let's rally behind him.

You rally, I'll write, if that's okay with you, Guido.

Dr. Benjamin Garcia-Azcue V, yahoo.com: Wouldn't it be nice if we had a new world order in which everyone believes in only one God, without attempting to define His attributes. Attributes which are in fact unfathomable by man's limited intellect. All the world's religions are efforts of different men at different times to put some sense into something unknowable.

Dream on, Doc for dreams give us hope -- and sanity.

Florus Cruz, Parañaque: I hope NPA leaders read your piece on squatters (Gotcha, 22 May 2000). With buck-passing by national and local officials, I call on Ka Roger to effect "jungle justice" and government cleansing. Despite huge incomes, local officials have not improved their locales. Squatters have grabbed every nook and corner, to the detriment of tax-paying residents and businessmen.

Thank you, Terry Adevoso, Manny Escalante, Rene Bernardo, Ron Salvacion, Bambi Gaa, Dario Paris, and the many others who took time out to write.

YOUR BODY. New research suggests that millions more children than previously thought might have lead-linked mental impairment, while another study supports a strong link between lead exposure and juvenile delinquency. More on this bad news at cnn.com/health.

There's good news, too: Obstetricians are about to get the first fetal monitor to measure oxygen level inside an unborn baby's blood during labor. This breakthrough device, recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, promises to help doctors determine which babies really are in distress or need delivery by Caesarean section.

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