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Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Aportadera: FVR option for GMA: Charter Change
By Atty. Billy Aportadera
Rights and Duties
"It is not the office of the presidency that is the problem. It is not the structure of the presidential form of government that is the problem. The problem is the person of Gloria."
HOW do we solve a problem like GLORIA? The opposition is demanding the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. If she is to be removed from the office of the presidency, the business sector wants that she be impeached.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines proposes a truth commission.
A radical leftist group had come up with their own solution--assassination. A rightist element in the Armed Forces of the Philippines said they would wage "war" to remove from office the President of the Philippines. Now comes former President Fidel V. Ramos who believes charter change will solve the problem of
Gloria.
The proposal of FVR for charter change is sidelining the basic problem which is "Gloria". It is not the office of the presidency that is the problem. It is not the structure of the presidential form of government that is the problem. The problem is the person of Gloria. It is the problem of the honesty and integrity of Gloria. This problem cannot be solved by merely changing the Constitution.
The Constitution is not the culprit. The problem is not the office of the president. The problem is the person who is occupying the highest office of the land. The problem is the person who is the incumbent president-Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Before the forum of public opinion, she is accused of dishonesty, of cheating and manipulating her own election to the presidency. In other words, she is charged of betrayal of public trust.
Even if the Constitution is amended to shift the form of government from presidential to parliamentary, the problem of accountability, honesty and integrity in public office will not be solved. A dishonest person will always be dishonest under a presidential government as well as under a parliamentary government. And if the public official who is dishonest is the President of the country, her being dishonest is not rectified in a parliamentary government.
The approach of former President Fidel V. Ramos in solving the problem of Gloria is by legislating her out of office through charter change.
He is also proposing that Congress constitutes itself as a constituent assembly and the amendments be done by members of Congress. Given the composition of the present Congress, they legislate to protect their personal and parochial interests. They cannot be expected to propose amendments to the Constitution for the welfare and greater good of the Filipino people.
Charter change can be the next issue that can be discussed after the problem of Gloria is solved.
(Abelardo "Billy" Aportadera Jr., a former Commissioner on Human Rights and former Assistant Ombudsman, is a practicing lawyer and a member of Philconsa)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (August 2, 2005 issue)
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