A much-improved ASEAN way

It is not everyday that an association is called upon to literally help make this world a better place to live in.

No less than the leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has called on the ASEAN Law Association (ALA) to help in quickening the process of integration in the region, particularly towards the attainment of a full ASEAN community by 2015.

The ALA, an association of members of the judiciary, legal profession, and the academe, is one of the very few groups associated with the ASEAN and recognized in Schedule II of the ASEAN Charter. It is the only ASEAN-wide organization focused on law in the region and was recently tasked with studying and preparing for the role of an ASEAN law in building a rules-based ASEAN community.

The ASEAN Charter was signed on Nov. 20, 2007 and entered into force on Dec. 15, 2007.

According to Supreme Court Chief Justice and ALA Philippines national committee chairman Reynato Puno, while the ASEAN Charter has already come into being, a lot needs to be done to give flesh to the different provisions of the charter.

He noted at the sidelines of yesterday’s ALA governing council meeting that the ASEAN secretary general and the leadership of ASEAN have made a call on all institutions within the region, both governmental and non-governmental to help in speeding up the process of integration in the region, compared to that of Europe, the United States, and even Africa.

In response to this call, the Chief Justice said that ALA has convened and focused its attention in helping the faster integration of the political, economic, social, and cultural processes in the region.

Among the items discussed during yesterday’s meeting, attended by dignitaries from various ALA member-countries, were the agreements on arbitral award enforcement and dispute resolution mechanisms.

Leading the Philippine delegation are ALA Philippine national committee (PNC) deputy secretary general Atty. Eduardo Hernandez, ALA PNC vice-chairman Atty. Alonzo Ancheta, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, ALA Philippines president Atty. Avelino Cruz, Chief Justice Puno, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, and SC Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. 

Puno adds that there is a great cause to celebrate the coming of the ASEAN Charter, since it not only endowed ASEAN with legal personality but also moves the region from discretion to a rules-based association.

The Chief Justice acknowledges that while much is to be done before the region can approximate the level of integration in Europe and America, in time, they entertain no fear that ASEAN will be able to put into flesh all the principles, postulates spelled out in the Charter.

These, he said, will mean a lot of political and economic benefits to the half a billion people in ASEAN.

Another highlight of ALA 30th anniversary celebration was the holding of the Chief Justice Reynato Puno distinguished lecture series sponsored by the ALA and the Philippine Judicial Academy, with Ambassador Rosario Manalo, Philippine representative to the newly established ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, as the lecturer.

Under the 1967 ASEAN declaration, ASEAN suffered from lack of legal personality, non legally binding decisions, informal meetings, absence of a political legal framework as well as a set of principles and purposes attuned to the times. It was for these reasons that the ASEAN Charter came into being.

At present, Puno said that the Charter still lacks enforcement mechanisms as it concerns more on promotion and less on protection of human rights. He adds that the challenge to the ASEAN is how the principles so eloquently expressed in its Charter can be put into practice.

Puno pointed out that what is more important is that for the first time, the Charter can be described as more people-oriented and sets out norms of behavior for each member-State to follow.

At the lecture, Ambassador Manalo stressed that the ASEAN Charter reinforces the ASEAN as a serious player in the future of the Asia-Pacific region.

She also emphasized the indispensable role of ASEAN law and system to sustain the ASEAN community.

A high-level legal experts group has been established by the ASEAN to work on the various legal issues of the ASEAN Charter, including the ASEAN’s legal personality, privileges and immunities within ASEAN, and dispute settlement mechanisms. An agreement on the privileges and immunities of ASEAN has been signed last Oct. 25 but is still awaiting ratification while the protocol on dispute settlement mechanisms was signed Jan. 14, 2010 and is expected to be ratified soon.

Different kind of politics

The way the presidential campaigns are being run are making a lot of people sick.

The campaigns are personality-centric. In short, paguapuhan. We can’t blame the candidates. They hire image consultants and advertising agencies which devise campaigns in the same way that they would sell products and services. Catchy slogans and jingles. Well-directed and big budgeted television commercials. Showbiz endorsers.  

No wonder many of them panicked when the Commission on Elections (Comelec) threatened to penalize showbiz personalities who endorse candidates under the Fair Election Act.

We have to give it to presidential aspirant Bro. Eddie Villanueva who tried a different tact at campaigning. He chose to prioritize substance over image, commitment over personality, gestures of reconciliation over entertainment. Is this because he didn’t have the financial means to hire professional image enhancers? Maybe.

Villanueva’s campaign launch sent a strong message of rebuke to greedy politicians while, at the same time, setting an example by performing the “washing of the feet.” His Bangon Pilipinas party swears that servant leadership is the type of leadership they would exemplify.

He also tried to show his sincerity when he initiated a Christian-Muslim reconciliation ceremony. Leading Evangelical figure Dan Balais kneeled before Islamic icon leader Aleem Najeb Taher in prayerful repentance of the abuses Christians have committed against Muslims. Taher did the same.

To make the salvo more unforgettable, the biggest Philippine flag ever made was unfurled to signify unity and was meant to inspire action toward the restoration of the greatness of the nation.

Though trailing at the polls, Villanueva has shown his capacity to draw throngs of thousands to participation and action. His opening salvo was the most attended with over 15,000 volunteers and supporters present.

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