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Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Guvs, mayors favor poll postponement
MAJORITY of governors and city mayors in the country strongly supports the Constitutional Commission's (Concom) proposal for postponement of the 2007 elections, according to Compostela Valley Governor Jose Caballero.
Caballero attended last week's dinner for governors and city mayors hosted by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at Malacañang.
The governor said politicians present during the dinner expressed their full support to the Concom recommendation.
Asked if Arroyo sought their help in seeking support of the people for charter change proposal, Caballero said the President simply told them that she would support the Concom recommendation and would forward it to Congress as soon as possible.
Caballero said it's high time for a shift from the presidential to parliamentary form of government.
He said he could assure the Comvaleños full support for the Charter change.
"I am positive that there can be a charter change in 2006. Comvaleños will give their overwhelming support to this endeavor. It's high time," Caballero said.
Meanwhile, Concom member Joji Ilagan-Bian said voting among Concom members on the postponement of the 2007 election was a close fight.
Bian said the "discussions and debates lasted for a day until midnight."
"That is why we have to sing Silent Night to cool down our tempers and emotions," Bian said.
She said 19 of the Concom members voted for the holding of the 2007 election while 22 voted against it.
"But all of the Mindanaoan Concom members--me, Rey Teves, Emilie Marahombsar and Sonny Matula voted no. I voted for yes to the 2007 elections because I know that people want change in governance now," Bian said.
Bad for public
City Councilor Leonardo R. Avila III said Monday that scrapping of the elections in 2007 and extending the term of elected officials until 2010 would only benefit the incumbent officials but would be unfair to the voters.
Avila was commenting on the recommendation of the Concom to postpone the election on 2007 to 2010 and agreed with the recent statement of City Mayor Duterte that moving the elections to 2010 is just too long a time for Filipinos to exercise their right to choose leaders they want.
"Election is part of the democratic process, which is very important, it might be too long a period that no election will be held so the justification for such should really be good because it might just be like trying to get the support of the local government and the people," Avila said during an interview.
Avila said that while he may be hesitant to speculate on the Concom's recommendation, being an elected official, he admits the proposal benefits elected officials a lot.
"If there's no election then I don't have to campaign nor spend and yet get a longer term in office," he said.
"But on the part of the people, if they regret having voted for us, they would have had the opportunity now to vote for others in the coming elections. But they cannot do that because there will be no election," Avila added.
Meanwhile, City Councilor Nilo G. Abellera in a separate interview said that if he were not an elected official, then he would have agreed to the proposal.
"Pero, since sa government ko, I'm not in favor of it. Only the incumbent officials will benefit," Abellera said.
Abellera stressed that other people should be given a chance to be elected and run the government.
Avila also said that he would like to study the matter deeper.
For Avila, being the chair of City Council's committee on ethics and good government, the recommendation would only be called good governance if it proves to benefit majority of the people. (BOT/BRQ)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (December 20, 2005 issue)
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