JDV hails con-com decision for shift to parliamentary system

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. hailed the presidential consultative commission (con-com) on constitutional amendments for adopting the recommendation to shift the country to a parliamentary system of government, describing the move as "a significant step in the right direction."

De Venecia said the con-com’s decision to adopt the parliamentary form of government echoes the recommendations of top local leaders nationwide for a federal structure since the political system would be most acceptable to local governments.

"We have long argued for this shift to the parliamentary system because of the defects of the presidential system that has failed the country and our people," he said.

De Venecia led the majority coalition of the House of Representatives in signing a joint declaration with local chief executives last Thursday calling for a shift to a parliamentary system of government with a federal structure.

In the same manifesto signed at the Manila Hotel, congressional and local leaders said they were launching a "strategic coalition and partnership" to work for Charter change to break the political crisis that has "grievously" damaged the economy.

De Venecia argued the country’s shift to the parliamentary system and unicameral legislature would make governance more effective and transparent by fusing the Executive and Legislative powers in the national parliament and end the gridlock prevailing under the presidential system.

He said the parliamentary system has been responsible for the rise in economic power of Europe and Asian countries.

De Venecia and local officials led by Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado of the Union of Local Government Authorities (ULAP) called on Congress to "determine immediately the most expeditious and least expensive mode of amending the Constitution and submit these amendments to a plebiscite."

President Arroyo, in her State of the Nation Address last July, called on Congress to convene itself to a constituent assembly to introduce amendments to the 1987 Constitution and pave the way for a parliamentary, federal system of government.

Congressmen led by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Constantino Jaraula, chairman of the House committee on constitutional amendments, agreed the least expensive and the most expeditious way of amending the Constitution is through the constituent assembly.

Con-com chairman Prof. Jose Abueva said the chances of holding a constitutional convention and election of its delegates appear "slim and it (is) likely that Congress, sitting as a constituent assembly, would do the work."

Abueva also sees the holding of a national plebiscite next year.

President Arroyo had ordered the con-com members to submit their recommendations to her by Dec. 15. Mrs. Arroyo will then formally transmit the proposed amendments to Congress for deliberation.

Last Thursday, the con-com approved the proposed shift to a parliamentary system.

Of the 39 commissioners present during the plenary meeting held at the Seameo Innotech center in Diliman, Quezon City, 32 voted to adopt the proposal submitted by the committee on the form of government.

Among the commissioners who tenaciously opposed the shift to a parliamentary system were Biliran Mayor Gerry Espina, Jose Leviste, James Marty Lim and Anthony Acevedo.

Espina led other commissioners in arguing that a parliamentary federal system of government would result in further disintegration of the Republic.

Even as the proposal to shift the form of government from the present presidential to parliamentary was adopted, Abueva stressed the plenary resolution is "still subject to refinement and modification" following the public consultations.

The con-com members had previously failed to adopt an earlier resolution by the committee on the form of government pushing for the shift to a parliamentary system.

The proposal was referred back to the committee for further study after 21 out of the 38 commissioners who had voted in plenary decided against it.

Several commissioners pointed out the inherent weaknesses of both forms of government but decided to adopt the parliamentary system as a tried and tested political system being followed by developed countries in Asia and Europe.