Politicians’ ambitions, pork barrel hindering progress of Cha-cha

Some senators are opposed to Charter change and a shift to a parliamentary form of government because of political ambition and the desire to hold on to some P200 million in pork barrel funds, a ranking administration lawmaker said yesterday.

The congressman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said many members of the House of Representatives are hoping that these anti-Charter change senators will "rise above their selfish interests and think of the welfare of the country."

"Not all of (the senators) are like that," he told The STAR. "Some are true statesmen who see our country being left behind by our neighbors because of our expensive bicameral system."

A bicameral legislature, according to the congressman, "is not only very expensive, it is also a major source of gridlock in passing much-needed measures."

He noted that among the senators who oppose Charter change — Senate President Franklin Drilon, and Senators Juan Flavier, Loren Legarda and Panfilo Lacson — only Lacson gave up his pork barrel fund.

The senators’ pork barrel funds could be "capriciously" allocated, unlike the P60 million priority development assistance funds allocated to a congressman. A congressman’s funds are directly channeled to their constituents, the lawmaker said.

The same senators who oppose Charter change, which includes a shift to a unicameral parliamentary system of government, are also either gunning for the post of president or vice president in the May 2004 elections, he said.

"What are they afraid of? No one’s stopping them. They can run for president in 2004," the congressman said, stressing that in a parliamentary system, the people will still directly elect a president into office.

He added that both Senate and House committees on constitutional amendments have reiterated that the 2004 elections will push through and that there will be no term extensions for lawmakers.

Both committees also said that Charter change will only affect economic and transitory provisions, as well as provisions on the form of government.

Only two more senatorial votes are needed for the Senate to pass its concurrent resolution to amend the Charter by constituent assembly. The House has passed a similar resolution, and a bicameral panel will later reconcile these two concurrent resolutions for congressional approval.

House committee on constitutional amendments chairman Rep. Antonio Nachura said amending the Constitution through a constitutional convention is not only divisive and expensive, but would also expose the Charter to the risk of lawmakers violating their promise to limit changes to three groups of provisions.

House Speaker Jose de Venecia is optimistic that the Senate will agree to a constituent assembly, rather than risk putting the Constitution in the hands of delegates to a constitutional convention with an "uncertain track record" in lawmaking.

"Almost all progressive economies in Asia have a parliamentary form of government," he said.