EDITORIAL - Electoral reforms

As the official campaign period opened, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting had a message for Congress: pass electoral reform laws. The PPCRV, the long-accredited citizen poll watching arm of the Commission on Elections, has two specific measures in mind. One is to prevent premature campaigning. Another is to end or at least regulate political dynasties.

The second issue is currently in the hands of the Supreme Court. The SC has been asked to compel Congress to carry out its constitutional mandate of passing an enabling law defining and prohibiting political dynasties. Congress, where an overwhelmingly majority of the members belong to dynasties, has consistently refused to pass that enabling law.

Congress, however, passed the law that the SC has cited in its controversial ruling, which declared that there is no such thing as premature campaigning even after certificates of candidacy have been filed. This has led to the proliferation of billboards with no size limitations, tarpaulins and posters being displayed by known aspirants for elective office long before the official start of the campaign period, in both public and private spaces.

“We hope that our legislators will amend the rules that allow candidates to advertise themselves before the campaign period because it goes against the spirit of the law. If they use taxpayer’s money for these, it is an abuse of authority and wrongful use of taxpayers’ money,” PPCRV chair Evelyn Singson said yesterday.

“We need laws that prevent political dynasties and improve the quality of voters and candidates,” she said. “We need reforms that will not allow money to determine winners, but reforms that will give fair and equal opportunity for rich and poor candidates to run for public office.”

The 19th Congress is almost over, and it can no longer act on the wishes of the PPCRV. But for the 20th Congress, voters have a chance to install lawmakers who can act on the wishes of the PPCRV, which reflect sentiments of many Filipinos. The electoral reforms being sought by the PPCRV need not remain in the realm of aspiration, or wishful thinking.