Too much power in one man
As President Noynoy Aquino's term becomes shorter and shorter his allies in both houses of the legislature are getting alarmed. It's actually 1 year 10 months and 12 days from today and then it will be all over for PNoy and his partymates. All over for their bonanza of easy millions that fell on them like autumn leaves from a season called DAP. Their PDAF has been scrapped. What to do with logistics for reelection? Something must be done.
And that something is a plot for PNoy's reelection. Constitutional prohibition? AChacha can take care of that. And why not? With majority of the congressmen and senators under the President's beck and call who can prevent their convening of a Constituent Assembly to amend the prohibition on a president's term of office?
Remember the impeach Corona drive in the House? And remember how the senators convicted him on a petty crime of a faulty SALN? All these happened because somebody in Malacañang orchestrated their moves. What a shame for a country whose honorable senators bowed down to the whims of one man just to gain his goodwill and patronage!
That once exalted body of the cream of the nation's leadership used to be the Round Table of pure hearted gentlemen and ladies whose integrity even a Yolanda type storm couldn't move. Yet a vindictive president mesmerized them. What's happening to the progenies of Rizal, Bonifacio, Quezon, Magsaysay and other martyrs of Philippine democracy?
As if their Corona escapade was not enough these sipsip lawmakers are now ganging up on the Supreme Court justices because the latter have struck down their PDAF and their Amo's DAP. Moves to abolish the Judiciary Development Fund are now being taken and talks of impeaching the Chief Justice are now being heard. What more are they plotting to do to destroy a co-equal branch?
What's happening in the political scene of this country is a thunder-clap lesson on the danger and disadvantages of a highly centralized presidential system. While it is true that under the present Constitution three co-equal branches of government exist, there's really no co-equality in terms of power and influence. In reality it's the president that lords it over the other two branches. For one thing, he appoints the justices of the SC and the judges of the lower courts. For another, the president holds the money bag of all government employees including those of congressmen and judiciary personnel. If the budget office refuses to release funds for a certain office or projects, or delays its release for one reason or another, one needs the mercy of the president to solve the problem.
For itself the Executive Office is allotted more than two billion pesos annually labeled as intelligence funds, contingency funds, social services funds and others. Without counting the money of his own political party which could amount to billions of pesos such bonanza of money, even without DAP, is enough to enable that office to control the minds of recalcitrant lawmakers.
How should the power of the Executive Office be limited so that he who heads it cannot assume the role of a virtual dictator? The answer is clearly through the adoption of the federal system of government. This system empowers local government heads (provincial or regional) to such a degree that dependence upon national leadership is minimized. Because a local unit of government is invested with adequate fiscal autonomy involving taxation and the power to use a substantial portion of taxes for its own operation, and because its legislative body is vested with a broad authority, there would be not much reliance on a nationally convened legislature. And because appointments of major positions are done by local executives, obeisance to Malcañang is lessened.
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