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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Prime Minister Gloria? By Antonio C. Abaya Written May 17, 2005 For the Manila Standard Today, May 19 issue In a television interview by Ricky Carandang on ANC Channel 21 last Monday, May 16, in which Rep. Constantino Jaraula (Lakas, Misamis Oriental) and I were asked our opinions on the parliamentary system of government, I essentially dwelt on only two points: a) President Arroyo is laying the groundwork to run for prime minister, to stay in power beyond 2010; and b) although I have been pushing for a shift to the parliamentary system of government since the 1980s, I realize that simply making the shift will not result in meaningful changes in our political life unless our electoral system is first drastically changed, and only a revolutionary government can make those changes. Let me explain the first point. Although as president of the republic, Mrs. Arroyo is titular head of a ruling coalition in which the lead party is Lakas (�the party of thieves,� according to Teddyboy Locsin), she actually has her own miniscule party, the KAMPI, which stands for something-or-other Mamamayang Pilipino. Months before the May 2004 elections, KAMPI had been trying to establish its own identity as a party, independent of Lakas and in anticipation of the day when the child outgrows the father. Mrs. Arroyo�s electoral victory in the May 2004 elections (under dubious circumstances, to say the least) has emboldened KAMPI to reach out for the stars, so to speak. It has forged an alliance with another miniscule, but once formidable, party, the Liberal Party. The naming of Rep. Butch Abad to the education department is a fruit of that alliance. KAMPI is now aiming to raid the Nationalist People�s Coalition (NPC) of business tycoon Danding Cojuangco, who in recent months has let it be known that he was no longer interested in running for president, after a disastrous attempt in 1992 and the realization of the futility of doing so in 1998.. More importantly, Danding has told his NPC members that they would now be free to affiliate themselves with whatever party they see fit. In practical terms, he is giving them a choice between Lakas and the emerging KAMPI. Sen. Angara�s LDP, coalesced with Estrada�s Partido ng Masang Pilipino, is too riddled with internal dissensions to be an attractive alternative. In addition, it is still reeling from the defeat, then death of, its lead icon FPJ. But although Lakas still has the numbers, it is KAMPI that has the power of the purse, the ability to dispense patronage, since it is KAMPI�s Gloria, not Lakas� De Venecia, who sits in Malacanang and is in the position to offer plum government positions, fat government contracts, and/or 2007 campaign funds to the soon-to-be orphaned NPC piglets looking for swollen and sympathetic teats to suckle on. My sense is that after a few more pre-arranged court victories to protect his business empire and to absolve him of any wrongdoing, Danding will give the go-signal and most, if not all, of the NPC piglets will run squealing with delight all the way to the bursting KAMPI teats of the mother of all mothers. In anticipation of this glorious day, KAMPI held what amounted to a party congress sometime last February, in which party president Rep. Ronnie Puno (KAMPI, Antipolo) rallied the trapo-troops to prepare them for the coming political battles. Puno was not modest about his goals �on how we can make KAMPI a truly dominant party after the 2007 (congressional) elections�..the objective should be to be the biggest political party in the political scenery. And to do this, if we quantify it, we have to have at least 120 congressmen�.� Puno claims that KAMPI already has 1,580 municipal mayors, or half the total number, as members. Having half the congressmen as well will truly make KAMPI �the dominant party after 2007.� The question is why would President Arroyo, halfway through her putative nine-year stay in Malacanang, plan at all to make her miniscule KAMPI party into �the dominant party after 2007,� only three years before her constitutional non-extendable term as president expires in 2010? There seems to be only one logical explanation: she plans to remain in power even after 2010, and she can do this legally only if the constitution is amended to allow a shift to the parliamentary system of government. Just as Ferdinand Marcos did in, I believe, 1976. Sure enough, a few days after the party congress in February, the party bigwigs met in executive session and are said to have decided a) to push for a shift to the parliamentary system in or after 2007; and b) to contest the coming parliamentary elections, with Mrs. Arroyo as party standard bearer. There would be nothing criminal or illegal about this, unless the constitutional amendments specifically prohibit current holders of elective public offices from taking part in the subsequent parliamentary elections. Which prohibition is highly unlikely since the amendments will be written in by the incumbent trapos and dynasts (if they are convened as a constituent assembly) or by their relatives and assignees-in-interest (if a constitutional convention is elected or appointed). In both scenarios, the intent will be to ensure that as many as possible of their incumbent trapos and dynasts in Congress (and Malacanang) will segue seamlessly into the succeeding parliament. Some old-fashioned cheating by Comelec, especially in Western Mindanao, concealed with the aid of Namfrel, will also come in handy, as it did in 2004. Plus ca change, plus la meme chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Goodbye, President Gloria. Hello, Prime Minister Gloria. In the Westminster model of the parliamentary system (which seems to be the preferred choice), one does not really �run for prime minister.� One runs for a seat in parliament in one�s electoral district. The party that wins a majority of the seats gets to form the government, with the party chair chosen by his/her party peers to be prime minister. There�s absolutely no doubt that Mrs. Arroyo would easily win in her electoral district in Pampanga in 2007. But it is not absolutely certain that KAMPI will win a majority of the seats in parliament, as Ronnie Puno wants, given the plummeting popularity and approval ratings of President Arroyo. Unless her public image improves dramatically, her endorsement of the other KAMPI candidates may turn out to be a kiss of death. Or it could even lead to a premature political demise if public disenchantment swells to insurrectionary levels (fueled by the ongoing escalation in the cost of living) and she is swept away by another People Power exercise before 2007. To pre-empt both possibilities, Malacanang is working overtime to burnish President Arroyo�s image. Right after �accepting the offer of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines� to improve her image, President Arroyo met with the country�s top print and electronic media moguls who promised to �let the public know that the President had nothing to do with the high oil prices.� (Inquirer, May 17.) Malacanang political technicians have also identified Evangelist Eddie Villanueva as the strongest likely challenger to President Arroyo in a pre-2007 confrontation and they have moved to isolate and neutralize him. Villanueva now faces a P70 million estafa case, filed by a cousin of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, and a warrant for his arrest has been issued. When this �man of God� is photographed in handcuffs, that may well spell the end of his political career. Unknown to many in the middle class � it was unknown to me until someone sent me a recent clipping from the Straits Times of Singapore � is the emergence of a new tabloid called Pasa�Yo (�For You�), which, like the Inquirer�s Libre, is distributed free of charge to riders of the LRT and MRT. I understand Pasa�Yo will also be given away free in squatter colonies, bus stations, airports and seaports. A brainchild of my namesake Anthony Abaya (no relation), one of the media manipulators of President Arroyo (as he also was of President Ramos), Pasa�Yo is specifically designed to give a positive spin to the day�s news so that President Arroyo comes out looking good all the time. Our very own version of Pravda. Under the parliamentary system, a prime minister can remain in office for as long as his/her party retains a majority of the seats in parliament, as determined in general elections every five years or so. Under this set-up, Lee Kwan Yew was PM of Singapore for 30 years; Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia for 22 years. Prime Minister Gloria will be around for a very long time. Better get used to the idea. ***** Reactions to [email protected] or fax 824-7642. Other articles in www.tapatt.org. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |
| Reactions to �Prime Minister Gloria?� I totally agree with your views. A shift to Parliamentary form of government is in no way a guarantee for economic miracle or any change whatsoever. It will only strengthen the already formidable Parliamentary Tyranny. These trapos have only one thing in mind why they want a shift of the system, and that is to perpetuate their squatting in public office to protect their private interests. The political awareness of our people is so infantile that our elections are nothing more than a popularity contest. Our politicians' motives are dubious from the start that's why there is no real party loyalty. We do not have a party with real ideology (except perhaps the CPP, and maybe the Liberal Party). proof of which is our trapos' endless rigodon before and after elections. In order for our country to really escape this quagmire is to have politicians who are really politically matured and have the balls to stick with his or her party, for our political parties to have real ideologies, and for the leaders to have political will for change. As to the form of government, I think the better option is to have a federal system, with each federal territory having its own laws and legislature (but the highest legislature is that of the Federal Government, like the American system). One of the more tangible benefits of this system will be decongestion of Manila and development of the countryside, thereby making the Philippines more conducive for investment. As for our trapos, well we can do with a few clowns every once in a while. Some will really have to go. As for Gloria, ORA PRO NOBIS! Martinez Felipe Rommel, [email protected] May 19, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I don't know much about her as a person and as a leader of a nation, but I don't think she is the right person for now to be a PM. She should remove her husband or ex-husband and clean the whole parties of graft and corruptions. I wish people in the administration to be really honest and do their job wholeheartedly. - This is scary especially when the economy is really bad, debts are way way up. Could there be queen and king in time - the muslims of the south might take over. May God bless our country and the lowly people. Tessie Barcelona, [email protected] May 20, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww To Mr. Abaya Tama po kayo. GMA, as a member of NATO (no action, talk only) will destroy RP. Enough is enough. Comelec must be changed for the better. PM Gloria? No way. Paliamentary form of government? Yes. All the best. Oscar Landicho, [email protected] Sydney, Australia, May 20, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Antonio, it looks like you have a following out here. I send your articles on and people respond. Good on you !!! Angie B. Coll�s�Dean, [email protected] Philippine Trading Co. Eugene, Oregon, May 20, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, If GMA is plotting and working hard to be head of state post charter change, what are the other presidential wannabes doing to thwart the GMA Steamroller? If the Malacanang political technicians are gearing up to destroy Eddie Villanueva, what about the political technicians of Joe de V (I am sure he is also counting on a Parliamentary form of government giving him another crack at being head of state), Ping Lacson, Manny Villar, Edong Angara, Kabayan himself, Loren Legarda, Imee or Bongbong Marcos? Is this current campaign to link Big Mike and Little Mike part of their scheme? What else are they doing? Oscar Lagman, [email protected] May 20, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, There is no doubt that the virago who is pushing for the parliamentary system will move heaven and earth to become the first PM of the Philippines. The Filipino people must act now if they do not want to suffer more hardship through the incompetence of Gloria Arroyo and aggravated by corruption in the highest level, no respect for the laws of the land, lack of political will etc. etc. etc . Narciso Boy Ner, [email protected] May 20, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Even before GMA could think about this grandiose plan, she still has to solve the problem called First Gentleman, who's now embroiled in a dangerous game of JUETENG along with his son and brother hiding under the enigmatic code names of 'M1', 'M2' and 'JS7', respectively. Recently, Sen. Ping Lacson heeded my challenge published in the Inquirer's INQBOX, to wit: "Naming the Arroyos behind jueteng codes M1, M2 and JS7 is too obvious to ignore. After all, who was it who stayed in a US$20,000 hotel suite in Las Vegas? You be the judge! Now the ball is in Ping's favorite court -- Senate inquiry." Rgds, Jerome Escobedo, [email protected] May 20, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More likely Jose de Venecia. Gloria is still too weak on intrigues. She will be swallowed up by Jose like Trotsky was swallowed up by Stalin. Ross Tipon, [email protected] Baguio City, May 20, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I was wondering if you could also furnish me a copy of your articles to: [email protected] Thanks a lot... Paul Raymund P. Cortes Department of Foreign Affairs May 20, 2005 MY REPLY. Done wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Corollary to a previous comment on this piece of yours, do you think the political technicians of GMA are competent? Their identifying Eddie Villanueva as the most likely challenger of GMA in the future does not indicate to me political savvy. If they are the same people as those who have advised her or planned her political moves in the past, then they are inept. I refer to her political decisions to appoint her husband as the representative of overseas worker, to accommodate John Osmena in her last senatorial lineup, to appoint Blas Ople, Ramon Revilla and others I can't recall at the moment to her Cabinet, to place in government corporations and sequestered companies unqualified people, and her "palpak" PR gimmicks like projecting herself as the choice of Bush and Mahatir in 2004, as "Gloria Labandera" and "Ina ng Bayan." Oscar Lagman, [email protected] May 20, 2005 MY REPLY. One should never underestimate the power of greed and the greed for power. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, The way out of this scenario is for the public to reject the pertinent constitutional amendment or new draft constitution in the referendum. So far, our polls have always gotten a clear majority NO to the proposition that a sitting or past president is allowed to become prime minister under a new parliamentary system. Our 2nd Quarter 2005 Social Weather Survey, in the field now, includes this item. We will also maintain our focus on the "Prime Minister Gloria" issue in the future. Mahar Mangahas, [email protected] Social Weather Stations, May 20, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww What a scary thought that we will be stuck with GMA even after 2010. Perhaps it really is time to consider your revolutionary government. Or migrating. Ricky Carandang, [email protected] ABS-CBN, May 20, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I was watching out for you TV interview, but somehow I missed it. I agree that unless we change the electoral process, any change in system would be futile and lead to more of the same. However, I would put my money on Joe deV, since he is still a force to reckon with in Congress, and he, also, has ambitions. I would think that Joe would be a good match for Ronnie Puno at political maneuvering. Since I have no prospect of fleeing the country under most circumstances, I can only hope that we can be saved from a fate worse than death. Anyway at my 82 years of age, I should worry! Vic Lim, [email protected] Asian Institute of Management May 20, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww If the Pidals are our present and future, what sins have we Filipinos committed to deserve perpetual hell? Vicente C. de Jesus, [email protected] May 20, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, I have given PGMA the benefit of the doubt in the last presidential elections. Besides, it was clearly a two-cornered fight. But ever since PGMA started paying political debts to people who delivered votes and to the ones who "delivered" money from their government positions to finance her campaign, then I started telling my friends and relatives that she has her eyes on becoming Prime Minister after her term as President. You have just made the point much clearer. Thanks. Emmanuel Buenaventura, [email protected] May 21, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Along with graft and corruption, the inordinate desire to perpetuate one's self in power pervades our national life. How does the statement go? ....... "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"....... Tom and Ruth De Guzman, [email protected] May 21, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Indeed there is a big possibility that the party in power now will do the assumption that you have written in your column. Yes, the party of thieves will do everything to remain in power. The Filipino people should remove the blinders in their eyes before it is too late... Perry Jor-El Alfuente, [email protected] Redico, Jubail City Eastern Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Copy furnished) The only thing I perceive differently than Tony is the proposed change from the Presidential system to a Parliamentary system with a Prime Minister, etc. For over sixty year's the Philippine political scene has not progressed. I for one doubt that changing to a Parliamentary form will in any way result in a change for the better. Time is of the essence and I do not think a Parliamentary form of government will work in the Philippines. The Presidential system is supposed to have an Executive branch, a Judicial branch and a Legislative branch which are supposed to be co-equal and independent. However it has never been properly balanced. During the time of President Manuel L. Quezon, the Executive branch with Quezon heading it - was the supreme power. You might recall that originally the Constitution stipulated that the term of office for the President was for only 4 years with a possible 4 additional year's if reelected. This was changed to 6 years without any extension. However we have seen that once in power they do not want to relinquish it. Marcos stayed in power for over 20 year's and used the Military to stay in Power. He would have been in there longer had he not been removed. GMA has learned the political tricks of the infighting game on how to hold on to power and is doing everything to see that nothing distracts or derails her/it from that objective. Anyway the other problem is that in the Philippines we eat, sleep and dream 24 hours a day about politics. No wonder some Chinese including Lucio Tan who devoted their time to business have made huge fortunes. As the Spanilsh saying goes, "Mar revuelto ganancia de pescadores.' So who benefits from this continuous political circus? Abrazos, Jaime Calero, Sydney, Australia, May 21, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Copy furnished) During the time of Marcos, the Parliamentary form of government was imposed with Prime Minister Cesar E.A. Virata as the head of the government. Nothing positive happened. The kind of government system is not important. What is important is to change the political orientation prevailing among Filipino lawmakers. Renato Perdon, [email protected] Australia, May 22, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww In reaction to your article "Prime Minister Gloria?", my personal opinion is that IF it will materialize, the living condition of Filipino people will get worse and the country as a whole will be left behind by our Asean counterpart That is the worst scenario. (We have already been left behind by our �Asian counterparts� under the presidential system. ACA) In view of this, I'm soliciting your advice about uniting all OFW worldwide to a single group or organization or whatever you may call it. Once united, it will become a 'Force' to reckon with and shall do a similar move like People Power. (How can you do People Power, scattered as you are around the world? ACA) The move shall have the very purpose of helping our countrymen improving their lives and our nation to move forward. I have forwarded the idea to Mr. W. Esposo ( maybe you know him already) of setting the initiatives, gathering other ideas and how this things will materialize. I am requesting you to kindly forward this idea to good gentlemen Attys.Chavez, Ongkingko et.al for the legal parameters and implication( if they are willing). Hoping for your kind response. Thank you very much and may the good Lord continue to bless you. Joel Nedamo, [email protected] OFW, May 25, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, PGMA now realizes that she has become the center of all blames for the downfall of the Philippine economy. With parliamentary government, that blame, if she has her way, will be spread among other so-called "ministers" in their respective spheres and departments so that if she becomes the prime minister (which I doubt she can stay long in that capacity), she can have all the excuses for government failures which she had created in the first place. This is what I can say about the proposed parliamentary government: (7) Philippine politicians including PGMA think that transforming the Philippine government into a parliamentary form will make the Philippine government as decent and efficient as the parliamentary governments of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Britain. What these countries have in common is the participation of their private citizens in the governance of their justice system. Corruption in their governments are held in check or controlled because their citizens have a deciding voice in their justice system which serves as a check and balance in place of the absence of the tri-partite check and balance among 3 great branches in the unitary presidential form of government that allows them to convict and send government grafters and serious crime offenders to jail. (Excerpt from: http://philippinegovantigraft.homestead.com/Jurgrand.html What we do not realize in the Philippines is that the unitary presidential form of government is an improvement of government in the United States over the original parliamentary system in England. In addition, the American people instituted the "Grand Jury" system in order to put a tight lid over potential abuses of their government. In my view, converting to the parliamentary system of government is more of a backward step towards government obsolescence. The U.S. presidential federal system of government which the Philippines has copied is definitely superior than a parliamentary system. What is missing in the Philippines is the Grand Jury and Trial Jury systems which we omitted in copying the American Bill of Rights into the Philippine Bill of Rights. In the U.S., each State is free to choose a parliamentary form of government but none of them ever embraced it because they think that it is an inferior system of government. Marlowe Camello, [email protected] Homeland, California, May 19, 2005 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |