I am sure I am not alone in being unmoved by names being trotted about as possible presidential candidates in 2004. Whether it is Flavier or Davide or Lacson or Fernando Poe Jr, or Loren or front-runner Raul Roco does not matter one bit. As constitutional expert Jose Abueva asks: Why is Senator Roco against charter change? Why is Senator Roco against charter change if he is for reform? There are thousands of us who want and are advocating reforms. In effect, Senator Roco opposes us in his bid for the presidency. There are many others who think surveys and speculations on candidates for 2004 are all a waste of time but they will not make a peep. Filipinos who know better are so intimidated by the pervasive, if misguided opinion that it is immoral or corrupt to even suggest that we might be better off forgoing another elections of the kind that has brought to us to rut. I would oppose self-appointed guardians of our "sanity" who insist that we have another elections no matter how foolish . I understand that what angers these guardians is the thought that the present officials’ terms may be extended without the benefit of elections (no matter what kind) and that is not acceptable to them. Here we are trying to reform the system by which we select our leaders and we are told no, no, don’t do any reform until we have another silly election for actors or broadcasters to run our country.
Well, I am afraid that they will not get either my acquiescence or my silence. Not that I am against elections. Far from it. I am for elections and I believe it is central to a democracy provided it is done properly and for the proper reasons. Elections are not ends in themselves. They are only a means, a manner of choosing officials who can best manage and run our country. We are in such a rut that we cannot think of elections other than as popularity or money contests. No wonder we are in such a mess. That is what we get for thinking of elections as ends in themselves rather than as means to a well-run country. If we were to think of elections as a means, our focus will be on the capability of candidates to fulfill the objectives of leadership required by the country today.
I know, Flavier is a doctor, better than actor Fernando Poe Jr, and Davide is an honest man, better than Ping Lacson. But so what? That will not solve our problems. Perhaps if we thought deeply enough we will realize how wrong it is to focus on personalities rather than on issues. Instead of comparing Flavier with Fernando Poe, Jr. will we not be better off focusing on what needs to be done so that we can have a better country let alone better lives? Isn’t it time we focus instead on programs of government and political parties and the ability of the contending parties – Lakas vs. PMP, for instance – to achieve this. If what we need is to create jobs, provide housing, infrastructure, and mass transport, how come we are choosing between a doctor and an actor without any thought on how they will possibly achieve what the country needs?
Moreover, what if the program of government is not followed as promised, how do we remove the elected officials? All this is to say that we cannot afford another elections for a presidential system under the old Constitution. It would be gridlock again, corruption again with the financial backers of candidates cashing in on their campaign contributions, and meanwhile no jobs, transport or housing. And the worst part is we cannot change them until next elections, that is six long years and who knows, probably lead us to a bloody EDSA? That is why political reformists insist we should be looking into changing our system of government immediately so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past by electing yet another set of ineffective and corrupt officials. The time to change our political system is now. We have to focus on issues and programs of government not personalities and it is already late. The time is yesterday. That is what a parliamentary federal form of government is about. It is based on choosing parties and their programs of government. Under a parliamentary system, politicians are bound to work cohesively as a party, play like a team, to use a metaphor Filipinos understand, the way basketball games are won . That will not be easy but it is the way to win the confidence of the electorate. So the earlier we shift to a parliamentary federal type of government, the better we will be. Here I do not mean only electoral reforms such as computerized counting or the impeachment of a COMELEC commissioner. There are other factors such as the kind of candidates we vote for. How come when we want a faucet fixed, we call a plumber? We want to create a better country and we elect an actor. We can also choose very honestly an idiot for president given the present presidential system. The elections we have had, what is being proposed we continue doing for 2004 are not elections but circuses. So why continue with it?
What we should do is change our system of elections and governance now, then hold elections in 2004 under a new constitution for a parliamentary federal system. A leader will emerge from such a system that has more to do with running this country well. And by running the country well I mean – food on the table, low cost housing for the poor, mass transport. And if he or she does not perform, well then out he or she goes. Meanwhile we build a strong civil service that will run the country despite election victories and upsets.
Quietly, those who understand the urgency of constitutional reform are working in the background. I know of several senators as well as members of the House, are getting a discussion going between them to arrive at an agreement. After all, as Senator Aquilino Pimentel told me, the senators, just as the majority of the members of the House agree that constitutional change is important to enable us to pursue economic reforms. It is not a matter of prioritizing between food on the table or jobs for the masses or changing the constitution. Senators and congressmen may differ on mode and timing but they agree on constitutional change and that is heart of the matter. Pimentel is confident once the matter is fully discussed, a consensus will be achieved. By the way, a group of overseas Filipinos who have banded together as Global Filipinos are in Manila waiting for the Absentee Voting Bill to be signed into law. I understand that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has promised to sign it within twenty-four hours after it is approved by Congress. Meanwhile public forums, workshops, seminars continue on constitutional reform. Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations, the Philippine Ambassadors Association, the Federation of Regional Development Councils of the Philippines, and others have organized a workshop on the proposed constitutional amendments on February 14, 2003 from 2-6 pm at the Executive Lounge of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
My email address: cpedrosa@edsamail.com.ph