There is absolutely no question that the great majority of Filipinos today still believe that democracy is the best political system for their country. The question now is which is better - the presidential system or the parliamentary form of government?
This is the subject of the ongoing debate between the advocates of amending the Philippine Constitution and their opponents. Those in favor, led by Gloria Arroyo and her scheming political minions, want to transform the present presidential system to a parliamentary form of government.
Those opposed argue that there is nothing
really wrong in the Constitution or the representative democracy that was
implanted here by the Americans in the early years of the last century. Their
spirited defense is that it is not something to be discarded quite so casually
by the proponents.
The debate has been bogged down on the
proposal for a shift to a parliamentary government. Its advocates appear
obsessed with pushing through their plans to set up a unicameral legislature in
a parliamentary system, something that would surely result in the abolition of
the Senate. Those against it have raised the inevitable suspicion that it is
designed really to perpetuate Gloria in power and consequently let her escape
accountability for the failures of her governance as an illegitimate president.
In the heat of their verbal skirmishes,
the public has not been fully informed about what exactly will happen when, and
if, the parliamentary form of government is adopted. At the moment we do not
know if this is being deliberately done by the proponents of constitutional
changes to hide their evil intentions.
When Gloria’s Consultative Commission
submitted its proposed amendments to the Constitution, she and her political
cohorts and propagandists did not bother to inform the public about such
charter changes in detail. All that they have been doing is to railroad their
plan for a shift to a parliamentary system. That is all. No details on what it
is all about, how it works, and its consequences.
For instance, they have not informed the
public that the commission had recommended a “unicameral parliament” which will
wield both Executive and Legislative powers. That the parliament members will
choose among themselves a prime minister and a president. That the prime
minister, as head of both executive and legislative branches of government, is
more powerful than the president. And that as head of government, the prime
minister, not the president, will form the Cabinet, appoint the Supreme Court,
including the Chief Justice, and supervise the armed forces. And the
President’s duties are mostly ceremonial as head of state.
One can clearly see here that all these
changes are so cleverly designed for the benefit of Gloria Arroyo. For in the
proposed amendments there is no prohibition against the incumbent president
from running for parliament and becoming prime minister. This will effectively
open the way for Gloria, after nine
years as president, to continue ruling the country as prime minister, and with
expanded powers and no term limits!
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