Binay: Gov’t reforms must be within Charter limits

MANILA, Philippines - Pursuing “innovative reforms” in the government should never exceed the limits set by the Constitution, Vice President Jejomar Binay said yesterday.

“The Supreme Court (SC) ruling on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) teaches us that while we must pursue crucially innovative reforms in government processes, we must at all times ensure that these never stray beyond the boundaries that our Constitution defines,” Binay said at the turnover and induction ceremony of the Rotary Club of Makati Friday night.

“Our Charter holds a mandate that transcends that of any elected official and stands supreme. It is not an obstacle to progress but instead, safeguards our participation in the most important affairs of the nation,” he added.

Binay emphasized the origins of the present Constitution should never be forgotten, as he recalled how the late former President Corazon Aquino urged Filipinos to support the ratification of the Charter in the 1987 plebiscite.

The Constitution, Binay said, would set the stage for each Filipino to reap the fruits of progress, to participate in his own rise from poverty to dignity, and to pave a road towards a peaceful and vibrant future.

Binay said he joined calls to let the rule of law prevail after the Supreme Court declared certain provisions of the DAP as unconstitutional.

SC ruling a reminder

The SC decision on DAP, according to Binay, should be a reminder that the “journey towards full transparency and accountability requires everyone’s fullest participation and devotion, now and always.”

Binay asked for sobriety, resist temptations to engage in speculation and allow the legal processes to take their course.

“I am not dissuading our countrymen from exercising vigilance, as now is when all of us must show nothing less than the deepest concern for how this matter is resolved,” Binay said.

“It is, however, my earnest prayer that we not fall prey to emotion. Rather, let us weigh events with as impassionate a sense of justice as we can muster.”