Angara seeks creation of legal body to govern political parties

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Edgardo Angara is seeking the creation of a legal body to govern political parties and their activities, members and funding now that the elections are over.

“We have seen issues between feuding members within and among political parties. Now that the elections are over and we are ready for a new government, it is also time to move on and put in place, as preparation for future elections, a better political party system that is governed with stable mandates,” he said.

Angara has proposed the Political Party Development Act that will order party members wanting to change affiliation after being elected under their party’s ticket to first resign from their elective position and seek a fresh mandate from the electorate.

Likewise, defecting persons cannot be appointed nor hold any position in any public office until after their current elected office expires.

Angara stressed that “a strong political party system is necessary to develop and achieve genuine political development and democratization rather than simply feeding politicized motives.

“We have to enact laws to prevent the system of ward politics and political chameleons that we have today,” he said, adding that political parties are only used by politicians as vehicles to win elections. Most political aspirants change parties for convenience rather than conviction, manifesting the lack of ideological commitment to their parties.

“Candidates’ abrupt secession from their parties may pose detrimental effects on the party itself and its goals for and after the elections, spurring division and deflecting a solid vote turnout rather than forming a unified coalition,” Angara said.

The bill also seeks to create a Party Development Fund to subsidize national political parties for their operational expenses and party building activities not only for electoral campaign but also for their developmental programs.

It encourages raising funds through Party Foundation to develop self-sufficiency and lessen their dependence on contributions from illegal sources.

“The country’s party system is confined to personalities rather than issues and platforms. There had been many attempts to reform this orientation to veer away from traditional politics, but they failed because of the lack a governing system,” he said

Angara is hopeful that the bill will change the norm of politicians acting as political butterflies and emphasize party ideals and policy agenda rather than political pragmatism and survival.