Bannning balik-pwesto politicians/ New laws

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

Newspapering is now a lot easier with the dizzying pace of technology. Nowadays, one can get information with the flick of a “mouse.” For aging guys like Yours Truly who are not that tech-savvy, we are not referring to those smelly, despicable creatures who could chew on anything even metal.

What we are referring to is the computer brouser. Hah, how times have evolved from writing articles using a typewriter and sending itby dictating it on landline and later through fax machine. Then came the email and social media and now, we can get information with the flick of a finger. So here goes some of the latest info from our email. 

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Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman has filed Bill 1349 saying he wants senators who ran but lost either in the presidential or vice presidential race to be prohibited from returning to their posts in the Senate.

“The practice of balik-puwesto of senators will soon come to an end,” Lagmansaid. That is, if his Bill 1349 is enacted into law.The measure calls for the automatic resignation of a senator and other elected officials upon the filing of their certificates of candidacy if they are seeking an office other than the one they are holding.

Lagman said several senators who ran but lost in the last May presidential and vice presidential elections reclaimed their Senate seats.

Although he did not name them, he was obviously referring to Senators Grace Poe, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Antonio Trillanes IV and Gregorio Honasan.

Now consider this, according to our friendly, perennially tipsy neighborhood philosopher: What if Bill 1349 would be applied to all elective positions to give chance to others who would also like to have a shot at governance instead of the already entrenched political dynasties and moneyed politicians?

You see, according to him, these breed of politicians who have been lording it over the masa would like to control everything and new faces would be most welcome.

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This, as the majority coalition in the House of Representatives voted Tuesday to postpone the Oct. 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

The vote was taken in a closed-door caucus called by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas.Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said 256 out of the 292 House members voted for postponement.

 Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said there was no definite future date agreed on for the holding of the barangay and SK election.He said there were proposals to postpone the balloting so it could coincide with the election of delegates to a constitutional convention (con-con), if this were the mode for amending the Constitution to pave the way for the planned shift to the federal system.

“But since President Duterte has changed his mind on con-con and favored the constituent assembly mode, some members who attended the caucus still asked if there was need to delay the barangay and SK polls. An overwhelming number voted for postponement,” he said.

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Malacañang is ready to engage the public in “debates, discussions, arguments” on federalism, presidential communications Secretary Martin Andanar said Tuesday, as a recent Pulse Asia survey showed four in every 10 Filipinos opposed to Charter change.

Andanar said it is now an “auspicious time” to review the 1987 Constitution, considering that the poll had also revealed that 77 percent of Filipinos have little knowledge of the issue.

“There is much more to be learned about the system, but the campaign to change toward federalism shall be intensified,” he said in a statement.  

He said federalism would allow regions to benefit from their own resources and ensure more equitable distribution of public funds.

“Ultimately we want our people to consider the greater possibilities to make change an inclusive experience when resources are distributed more democratically,” he added.

The Pulse Asia survey released early this week showed 44 percent of Filipinos are against Charter change while 37 percent support it. Nearly two in every 10 Filipinos or 19 percent are undecided on the issue. The nationwide poll had 1,200 respondents and used a margin of error of ± 3 percent. 

Previous efforts to amend the decades-old Constitution had been viewed as attempts to extend the terms of officials. Duterte, the first president from Mindanao, is pushing for amendments to the Charter to pave the way for a shift to a federal form of government. He believes federalism would promote development in the countryside and address the poverty and violence hounding Mindanao.

In a federal setup, each state has the power to enact its own laws and regulations. National citizenship, currency, national defense and foreign affairs, however, will still be handled by the national government.

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Nineteen more bills lapsed into law last month, including Republic Act 10911 prohibiting discrimination against any individual in employment because of age.

Under the Constitution, bills that are neither signed nor vetoed by the president will automatically lapse into law after 30 days.

Among the other bills that were transmitted to Malacañang during the time of former president Aquino and which lapsed into law on July 17 were the following: RA 10871 or the act requiring basic education students to undergo age-appropriate basic life support training; RA 10875 establishing the Antipolo City National Science and Technology High School in Barangay San Jose, Antipolo City; RA 10872 separating the Cagasat National High School-Magsaysay annex in Cordon, Isabela from the Cagasat National High School, converting it into an independent national high school; RA 10876 separating Kalinga National High School-Ambato Tinglayan annex in Kalinga from Kalinga National High School.