GMA's Golden Chance
This is GMA’s golden chance to do good to her country and leave a favorable lasting legacy. Now that she does not have to pander to anybody anymore, she is the only Filipino who can (just a partial list):
1. Definitely state that she will not extend her term of office by resorting to constitutional change because at the end of her term in 2010, she will have been the second-longest serving chief executive next to Marcos. She was elected to the Senate in 1992, she’s had more than her fair share of leading our nation, her husband almost died, life is too short, she should be eternally grateful.
2. Make Congress pass a bill that will abolish Pork Barrel. Legislators must stick to making laws and providing oversight. Public works should be the responsibility of the executive branch.
3. Make Congress pass an enabling law that will enforce the anti-Dynasty provision in the Constitution. She should provide an example and demonstrate her good faith by asking her 2 sons and her brother-in-law to immediately resign from their positions. That 119 families dominate this country is ridiculous and is clear evidence that this system is not healthy for growth and development.
4. Negotiate directly with the World Bank, IMF, ADB and other international banks for a 5 year deferment on interest payments in order to triple the budgets for health, education and infrastructure, recognizing that continuing down this path of borrowing money to keep up with interest payments is depriving our nation of the capacity to produce succeeding generations that will be able to effectively compete in a global economy. Implicit in this is the repeal of the Automatic Appropriations Law that handicaps our negotiating capability.
5. Automate the electoral process and join the world community in holding elections where the results are known within 24 hours.
6. Increase the taxes on tobacco products, SUV’s, gasoline and other products that harm people and nature.
7. Enforce the felony provisions on squatting that will disqualify violators from participating in the electoral process. This will not only emphasize the critical concept of property rights, it will also prevent traditional politicians from preying upon the poor and the dispossessed, from taking advantage of the vulnerable masses whose lives have remained mired in poverty and squalor resulting from the perverse preferential option practiced by trapos.
8. Call an immediate end to the all-out war on the NPA and seek the mediation-assistance of a Scandinavian country.
9. Mobilize a national research program that will harness solar energy. Lead a tree-planting campaign that will plant 50 million trees in 2 years.
9 comments:
Very well written Dr Bautista! I have to say that each of these points must come to fruition for our country to move forward. However, I don't see how GMA (and others in power) can exert any effort in trying to make these changes. The president does the exact opposite. She seems to be putting on a lot of pressure to the lawmakers for the 'charter change' so she can stay in Malacanang longer than Marcos did. She also is making sure her boys get elected into public office so political dynasty is ensured. Oh and do you think the Congress will give up their pork barrel? Neither will the president veto its abolition. She's got family members who are getting themselves wealthy thru the pork barrel. GMA, just like most elected official, is only there for their own interests and not for the majority of the people. A very sad reality for us Filipinos!
I second the motion, Martin. Exactly the same sentiments I have been wanting to shout out a long time. Thanks for putting them in written form.
For this to be read by more Filipinos, I suggest you have this published in the newspapers. Being a national figure now and by its substantive content, I believe media will disseminate this. They even appeal to the court for trillanes to be heard, what more with this more sensible statement from you - which is not self-serving.
Will you allow this to be linked to other blogs?
Martin,
People that are successful are the one's that don't fear failure. Look at Edison and the light bulb. Rarely does one succeed at such a high level with the first try. I'm proud that I knew you ,if only for a brief time. You made medical staff meetings interesting.
I wish you luck in your future endeavors.
"We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success." Henry David Thoreau
Good luck friend,
Dr. Paul
For now, Doc has his calling. To be a blogger!!!
The economic outlook is good. The peso is strong, more foreign direct investments are coming in, the stock market regaining investor confidence, a good fiscal policy. All this means a rebounding economy. But one false move and the economic equilibrium falls apart.
One such move is to push charter change at this time. The efforts to push cha-cha last year left everybody with bloodied nose. Even if the objectives were good, the motives are suspect. Many saw it as a means to keep GMA and congressional allies in power beyond 2010. And shifting to a new form of government as the panacea to all the political and economic problems is meaningless if the same faces that mismanaged the last Congress will be the ones to take over the new government.
GMA cannot afford to risk the economic gains that her efforts have accomplished. It is foolhardy for her to revive the cha-cha because the political issues will come back to agitate and destabilize the country again. If she sincerely believes an urgent need for charter change, she should ask Congress to legislate a law to get the people’s conformity in a referendum, and if approved by the people, to set the election for representatives to the constitutional convention after June 2010, when GMA steps down. Then nobody can say the whole thing was manipulated.
Dr. Bautistsa, what do you mean by a "preferential option for the poor"? Birth control pills? Condoms? Abortion? I hope you can clarify this.
I don't see the need for a charter change in a country where it takes weeks to know the results of elections. A unicameral form of gov't has less checks and balance and a local warlord can become prime minister just by buying the members of parliament. The lack for an enabling law for anti-dynasty provision in the Constitution shows lack of sincerity of lawbreakers, err I mean lawmakers.
To Rey,
charter change is better left to the people to decide in a referendum. It should never be left to the capricious and whims of politicians. An automated counting system is an alternative for a quick count.
Sigaw resurrects signature campaign
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Page: 1
Sigaw ng Bayan, the main proponent of the failed people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution, will launch a new wave of signature gathering for a shift to a unicameral parliamentary system of government.
The signature drive will start in July as soon as the new set of local officials assumes office, Charter change advocate Raul Lambino said yesterday.
Newly elected city mayors and governors are expected to support the signature drive, Lambino said, citing the assurance given by League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) president Ramon Guico, who won in his re-election bid for mayor in Binalonan, Pangasinan.
“We will campaign for the complete overhaul of the electoral system and go back to a more accountable political system,” Lambino told The STAR.
The new petition will call for the abolition of Malacañang and Congress and will pave for a new unicameral parliamentary system that will be composed of district, regional and party-list representation all over the country, said Lambino, who organized the party-list Banat or Barangay Association for National Advancement of Transparency that ran in the May 14 elections. As of 7:00 last night, Banat has yet to break into the top 20 of the party-list elections, according to the official partial tally of the Commission on Elections.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=4176
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