Consumers Domain
Tradpol's Initiative
"There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people."
- Muhammad Ali
Section 2 of Article XVII of the present Philippine Constitution provides for a direct way of people's intervention in the question of amending the country's charter. It stipulates, "Amendments to this Constitution may likewise be directly proposed by the people through initiative upon a petition of at least twelve per centum of the total number of registered voters, of which every legislative district must be represented by at least three per centum of the registered voters therein..."
This provision recognizes the inherent power of the sovereign, the Filipino people themselves, to institute changes in the charter of the land. The spirit of this provision is to truly empower the people to propose changes or reforms in the country's laws.
But sadly what is happening now controverts the very essence of this provision. How could this be a people's initiative when this so-called movement is finance by Malacañang? How could this be a real people's initiative if it is the tradpols (traditional politicians) who are initiating the signature campaign?
These efforts are clearly driven by Gloria Arroyo's strategists to: (1) ensure her survival amidst the people's distrust of her administration and (2) smokescreen the real issues which include her direct involvement in massive electoral cheating and corruption, and (3) reward her equally power-hungry lap dogs and allies.
Below are some issues and reservations that I have with the efforts to change our charter that I have already raised in this column before. I am reiterating these points now that the people are being hoodwinked into signing the questionable people's initiative.
First, one major requisite for a parliamentary system to be effective is a strong principle-based, platform-based party system. Surely in our current political set up this does not exist. Politicians join a political party that can provide resources and machinery for its election to a post - not base on principles or programs.
Second, the system of check and balance is very important in a political situation like ours where patronage politics run high in the system. Since the legislative and executive branches will be merged; and transformed into a unicameral legislative/executive body, there will be no more checks and balance. Where nepotism and patronage politics is dominant, an abusive corruptPrime Minister, supported by his/her equally corrupt, unprincipled political party, with the support of other trapos who can bought into supporting him/her, can practically hostage the government.
Thusthe vote-of-no-confidence is rendered inutile as they ensure their continued stay in power, despite the clamor of the people. This was in fact exactly what happened when the trapos in the Lower House shot down the impeachment proceedings versus Gloria "Hello-Garci" Arroyo. How much more in a unicameral parlimentary system?
Third, one major characteristic of our political system and culture is the deep dominance of nepotism. In many regions, political clans still exercise unopposed power. A federal set up will strengthennepotism in the state-level as political clansindifferent regions will simply take-over with the power which was devolved. Most likely, states will be governed by the same trapos, their relatives and/or friends in the regional level.
Lastly, the proposed revision in the constitution includes the dilution and deletion of the nationalist economic and patrimony provisions of the 1987 Constitution. Our economy and natural resources including agricultural land are being opened to foreign ownership and control.
It means that one main motive of charter change is to comply with globalization policies as pushed by the WTO (World Trade Organization). This is to further liberalize and deregulate the Philippine economy so to accommodate the interests of foreign corporations. This will result to the intensification of the damages that were already caused by these policies - closure of local based industries, increase unemployment and underemployment, dislocation of small and marginalized entrepreneurs, services will be converted to profit-driven businesses, damage to the livelihood of community-based small scale undertaking, further destruction of the environment and so forth.
But more than the points I raised above is a fact that should the biggest reason why we should oppose this people's initiative to change the nation's charter. And that is the fact that this is not a genuine expression of the people but clearly a traditional politicians' initiative - an initiative not with the interest of the nation in mind but with the aims to further the interests of few politicians.
(Send your comments and reactions to: for text messages to 0919-348-6337; for e-mails to ianseruelo@yahoo.com; and for blogs to http://consumersdomain.blogspot.com.)