The political drama over the Duterte family feud finally died down last Monday after the substitution deadline came to pass. The events from October 8 to November 15 have led to questions over the election code loopholes which have been exploited by the administration since Duterte ran for the Presidency in 2015.
Is it wrong for political party’s and their candidates to have placeholders file certificate of candidacy’s so these can be changed on or before the deadline for substitution?
The practice of substitution is the norm in team sports. It gives opposing teams the opportunity to field the best players in a particular situation and relieve those who have been injured or not playing up to par. Should this also become the norm for Philippine politics from hereonend?
I haven’t read anything in history about the prevalent use of substitution in the past. It was only the usual revolving door between the Liberal and Nacionalista Party’s come the Presidential election cycle when defections would occur as each wanted to have the winning President in its stable. This would be replicated up and down the national and local levels, depending on the strength of the candidate and the value of strategic control over a region or political entity.
It was Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who established the precedent of an outgoing President running for public office by filling as a candidate in her Pampanga congressional district. The Yellowidiots frowned upon this then but GMA has a hold on that district since then. She’s a candidate again for 2022.
The situation is different now with what we have witnessed since October 8. The two deadlines work in favor of political party’s which can’t get their slates finalized in time for the deadlines, for one reason or another. The opposition of course, labels it as a mockery of election law even if there’s no prohibition against the practice. They are now moving to pass amendments to the Omnibus Election Code to plug the “loopholes.”
To my mind, this will not address the root of the problem which is the absence of ideology in political party’s, tha thas members moving from one to the other, depending on the point in time, in an election cycle. This is only good for the six-year term of the President. The cycle is repeated again, and again, and again.
Constitutional amendments have been proposed since the time of Cory, particularly about political dynasty’s and the need for continuity and consistency of government policies, with specific reference about the economic provisions of the Constitution and foreign direct investments. Advocates have been pushing for a shift to a federal parliamentary form of government but this hasn’t gained traction during the time the Yellowidiots were in power.
The Malolos Constitution was parliamentary. It was the Americans who imposed the republican bicameral system on us. It’s clearly not suitable for our politics. This was why Marcos convened the 1971 Constitutional Convention to draft a new Constitution and make the shift to a parliamentary form of government.
When Marcos was ousted, members of the Constitutional Commission supposedly “debated” on the best system for the country but the final product was just a rehash of the 1935 Constitution with safeguards against martial law. There was a specific provision against political dynasty’s but the enabling law hasn’t been passed by Congress for obvious reasons.
Then there’s the party-list proviso which has been abused by the so-called “marginalized” and the elite, which utilizes it as the backdoor for family members who can’t win in an open election. The membership in the House of Representatives is increasing with every election cycle.
The most glaring is how the development of youthful leaders is being stymied by the system which only allows the moneyed candidates to run for public office. Even at the Congressional district level, it costs almost a billion pesos, if it is a large district. Proof is how there has been a lack of upcoming leaders in the House of Representatives. It’s worse in the Senate because we are left with either recycled Senators or actors. Imagine how now Bong Revilla and Lito Lapid are the senior members of the upper chamber. They who are mostly known for their silence.
The opposition complains about these loopholes but they are also equally guilty of exploiting the same to their advantage. The primary example is impeachment. Joseph Estrada and Renato Corona were successfullly impeached and ousted. They have employed the same strategy with every President they didn’t like since then. Yet when the shoe is on the other foot, they immediately claim it violates moral norms. It’s this blatant hypocrisy which has the greater majority of Filipinos opposed to them.
Of the Presidential candidates for 2022, only Bongbong Marcos is an advocate of federalism. Leni Robredo will surely not want to change the status quo. The same is true with Isko Moreno who is funded by the same oligarchs behind the Pink candidate.
Federalism is an unfulfilled campaign promise of Duterte. It remains to be seen if this is part of the “unfinished work” he wants to accomplish which is why he’s running for Senator. If it does materialize, we may see a Marcos as President, a Duterte as Vice-President, another Duterte as Senate President and GMA as Speaker of the House of Representatives. The future of the Filipino people are in their hands.
The pandemic has caused disruption in all aspects of our lives. Economic recovery is at the top of the concerns of citizens along with employment, education and public health. The government cannot keep on borrowing to plug the budget deficit. Foreign direct investment is capital which fuels the economy and enables the government to expand its revenue base.
Most of the public thinks that there is free healthcare, education and other social services. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Everything is paid by one or the other. We will need to change not only the political structure but also the economic as well if we want to remain competitive at the global level.
The Philippines’ development has been held back by its colonizers and the oligarchs who continue to impose the plantation-style democracy which works to their advantage, to the detriment of the poor. The entitled rich and the entitled poor, who are egged on by leftist-militants and liberals is what keeps the Philippines from reaching its full potential. It’s high time the public is made aware and pressure exerted on the political leadership to make these changes for the good of the greater majority of Filipinos.
This is why charter change should be an election issue. Not the closure of ABS-CBN.
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