A parliament for us in 2003?

I have thought it over and I have changed my mind about a constitutional change. I have previously taken the position that we have better things to do than tinker with the Constitution. I have now come to the conclusion that we can’t get better things done unless we changed some provisions in the Constitution. The main change I want to see is the shift to a parliamentary form of government.

It is now clear to me that the presidential system has failed us. Not only is the election of our top officials now largely an expensive popularity contest, there is also the question of accountability of such key officials as Cabinet members. We tend to get technocrats and presidential cronies in top Cabinet jobs who are accountable only to the president and their enlarged egos. We need Cabinet officials who are accountable to the people.

We can still elect a president who is largely ceremonial like the president of Singapore. But we need a head of government, a prime minister, who reports to a parliament and who can be easily removed from office, without need of a coup, if he or she has lost the people’s confidence. This will address the arrogance we now see from public officials who are protected by a fixed term of office.

The shift to a unicameral parliamentary system will also address the spiraling cost of election to a national office. Getting elected to the Senate, as Vice President and President now entails campaign expenses in the billions of pesos. This is why every large government contract is suspect… why it is easy to make people believe in such things as a million dollar man. High officials get beholden to large contributors. Elections to represent a constituency should cost much less.

A parliamentary government also levels the playing field now dominated by high profile professionals like show biz and media personalities. To become head of government, one must win the respect and support of peers who should normally know better. While there is no guarantee that the dregs of our political world won’t get elected, maybe there is a better chance to protect the nation from itself in the matter of electing a popular personality who has no business leading a nation.

Of course there are other changes I would like to see. Outdated provisions, like the nationality provision on media ownership, ought to be deleted. Even the 60/40 rule on utilities looks archaic in today’s world. I am also not sure the Judicial and Bar Council is a better way of choosing members of the Judiciary than a more open scrutiny by the parliament’s appointments confirmation body.

Convening Congress as a constituent assembly should be a quicker way of introducing constitutional reforms. I don’t see how a specially elected constitutional convention can produce a better Constitution that will justify the delay and the costs. Ideally, we should get everything done by next year. Since 2003 is expected to be a year when our leaders’ minds turn to politics and therefore should be given up for lost, we might as well make something out of it by getting a new Constitution formulated and ratified.

The business sector should lead the movement for constitutional change because without it, the investment climate will continue to be what it is today or worse. No one in his right mind wants that, I hope.

Two million dollars

My problem with Mark Jimenez’s exposé is the absence of a clear reason why he had to bribe anyone for two million dollars. If it is not to stop his extradition, then what? Because Nani Perez cursed him in front of his family? You don’t pay two million dollars to someone who did that to you. You pay two million dollars to contract killers to do him in.

Mark must be hiding something, protecting someone. Minority Floor Leader Carlos Padilla is right in asking him to spill all the beans.

Postal rates

From my e-mail box, here’s one from reader Ramon Infante.

Lately, I’ve been doing some "mail-order" business of our handicraft products to individuals in America. I am shocked at the rates that we have to pay for Surface Mail, the only cheapest way to send things. The minimum is P432 for the 1st kilo. Then, for every subsequent kilo, we pay P207. AND THIS IS FOR SURFACE MAIL, which is like the "Slow Boat to China".

WHAT MAKES MATTERS WORSE is that the weight fractions are rounded off to the next kilo!! For example – you have an article that weighs 2.4 kilos – you will pay for 3 kilos!! This is insane. What with computers and technology, it’s so easy to calculate the extra 500 grams and charge based on 2.5 kg, NOT 3 kg !

The rates, btw, were increased again some months ago. Wala na tayong pagasa dahil lahat ng mga serbisyo dito ay mahal. Ironically, the cost to send to Guam is the same to send to Miami, Florida. Wait till you see the rates to countries like Malta. Wow....

Come fly with me

This one’s from reader AGSalgado, e-mailed from the US of A.

In the dead of summer a fly was resting on a leaf beside a lake. A hot, dry fly who said to no one in particular, "Gosh... if I go down three inches, I will feel the mist from the water and I will be refreshed."

There was a fish in the water thinking, "Gosh...if that fly goes down three inches I can eat him."

There was a bear on the shore thinking, "Gosh...if that fly goes down three inches... that fish will jump for the fly...and I will eat him."

It also happened that a hunter was farther up the bank of the lake preparing to eat a cheese sandwich. "Gosh," he thought, "if that fly goes down three inches... and that fish leaps for it...that bear will expose himself and grab for the fish. I’ll shoot the bear and then have a proper lunch."

You probably think this is enough activity for one bank of a lake, but I can tell you there was more.

A wee mouse by the hunter’s foot was thinking, "Gosh... if that fly goes down three inches... and that fish jumps for that fly...and that bear grabs for that fish... the dumb hunter will shoot the bear and drop his cheese sandwich."

A cat lurking in the bushes took in this scene and thought, Gosh... if that mouse makes off with the cheese sandwich... then I can have mouse for lunch."

The poor fly is finally so hot and so dry that he heads down for the cooling mist of the water... The fish swallows the fly... The bear grabs the fish... The hunter shoots the bear... The mouse grabs the cheese sandwich... The cat jumps for the mouse... The mouse ducks... The cat falls into the water and drowns.

The moral of the story is.... Whenever a fly goes down three inches...

Some pussy is probably in danger.

(Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected])