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Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Arroyo lets military make public 'Mayuga Report'
MANILA -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo finally allowed the release of a report detailing the military's investigation into alleged involvement of its personnel in fraudulent activities during the 2004 presidential elections.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said in Baguio City that the President had already gone over the report and approved its release within the week. He said he expects it to be made available through the military either Tuesday or Wednesday.
The Mayuga Report was so named because it was Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga who conducted the inquiry when he was still the AFP inspector general. He was promoted as Flag Officer in Command in late 2005 or after he completed the investigations.
Ermita described the report as "very fair" but he declined to elaborate or give more details except to say that among the recommendations was for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to look into the role of the military during elections.
Former Supreme Court (SC) chief justice Hilario Davide Jr., in his report to the President, also recommended certain reforms for the Comelec to undertake. Davide, Arroyo's adviser on electoral reform, conducted a three-month review on needed reforms in the electoral system.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said Arroyo supports all of the recommendations made by Davide.
Bunye, who is also Presidential spokesman, said that not all of the recommendations would be immediately implemented due to some legal obstacles but he assured that most would be taken into consideration when the electoral and political systems are overhauled.
The recommendations include higher penalties like longer imprisonment term for election offenses, development of a two-party system, and financial assistance to political parties.
Davide also recommended the adoption of electoral reforms proposed by the Consultative Commission (Concom), such as the development of a two-party system, providing financial assistance to political parties based on their share of the votes cast, and prohibiting financial contributions from foreign governments.
He proposed that the Comelec amend its Rules of Procedures to require a mandatory raffle of cases, mandatory deliberation (en banc or division) of a case before the assignment to a ponente for the writing of opinion, and shorter periods for availing of remedies for a more expeditious disposition of cases.
Davide also proposed the abolition of the municipal canvass of election returns insofar as national candidates are concerned, that Comelec makes more professional its senior staff and improve the body's internal management processes, and that the Department of Education (DepEd) should include in its curriculum a subject on elections.
His proposal also included the creation of a Committee on Electoral Reforms composed of representatives from the Office of the President, Senate, House of Representatives, and the Comelec, and the amendment of the Constitution, particularly on:
* Fixing the term of office of members of the House of Representatives and provincial, city, and municipal elective officials to four years;
* Desynchronizing the elections and holding, as a consequence, national and local elections on different dates;
* Banning the appointment of elective local officials and members of the House of Representatives to any public office during the term for which they were elected;
* Banning the appointment of senators to any public office within three years from their election for a particular term;
* Prohibiting political dynasties and providing harsh sanctions for violations; and
* Prohibiting elective public officials from changing their party affiliation during the term for which they were elected and providing harsh sanctions for violations.
On the overhaul of Comelec, Bunye said the 1987 Constitution states that a commissioner's term is for seven years only and he or she cannot be reappointed after.
Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos welcomed the proposed reforms, saying that those were the results of Davide's consultation with them. (JMR/Jonathan M. Mactal-UST intern/Sunnex)
(April 12, 2006 issue)
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