BEHIND
THE SCENES
Alfred
P. Dizon
The political animals
must be grinning from ear to ear after the House of Representatives endorsed
the grant of state subsidies to political parties with national constituencies.
The grant is part of
Bill 6551, or the proposed Political Party Development Act of 2012, which the
House has approved on third and final reading.
The bill seeks an
initial funding of P500 million for political parties. The proposal is like the
practice in the United States, where the two mainstream national political
parties receive federal funding.
“We have to veer away
from politics of patronage and money. We have to grow as a nation and focus our
politics on issues and political platforms,” the bill’s authors said.
Among them are Rufus
Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, Juan Edgardo Angara of Aurora, Maximo
Rodriguez of the party-list group Abante Mindanao, and Raymond Mendoza of Trade
Union Congress of the Philippines.
“We have to institutionalize
and strengthen our political parties by introducing reforms in campaign
financing through effective and transparent mechanism to level the playing
field and eliminate opportunities for corruption,” they said.
The proposed state
subsidy would be used for party development and campaign expenses, including
party administration, recruitment, research, education and training of members,
and outreach programs.
Also covered are
operating and travel expenses, information dissemination, advocacy campaigns,
and production and distribution of electoral paraphernalia.
The Commission on
Elections (Comelec) would be mandated to issue the necessary rules and
regulations.
Accreditation of
political parties entitled to state funding would be based on political
representation, organizational strength, mobilization capability, performance,
and track record.
Political groups
receiving state subsidy would be subject to audit by the Commission on Audit
(COA).
They would be required
to submit sworn statements of their assets and liabilities to the COA, which
would publish or make them available to the public six months before an
election.
These groups may still
receive contributions from private donors, which would be tax-exempt, but the
Comelec would be tasked to strictly regulate such donations.
State funding for
political parties had been the advocacy of former Pangasinan Rep. Jose de
Venecia Jr., but the bill authorizing it had not been passed during his years
of leadership in the House as speaker.
***
The nationwide Charter
change roadshow launched by the Centrist Democratic Party (CDP) is now in high
gear, with its proponents optimistic of Filipinos’ growing support for
fundamental political and economic reforms.
Cagayan de Oro Rep.
Rufus Rodriguez, president of the CDP, said the party is pushing for the
holding of a constitutional convention later this year to amend the 1987
Constitution and implement a federal system of government with two legislative
chambers, and to lift restrictive economic provisions of the charter.
“Now is the best time
when there is no doubt in the sincerity of President Aquino to implement
lasting reforms. We are asking the President to lend an ear to heed the growing
clamor of the people for charter reforms so that we can sustain our economic
growth,” Rodriguez said.
“We do not have enough
investment capital to dramatically boost economic growth because of limitations
set by some provisions,” he said.
Rodriguez said the CDP
is supporting efforts of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Speaker
Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to amend the restrictive provisions in the Constitution
hampering the entry of foreign investments.
On Monday, CDP
officials led by Rodriguez and its chairman, Lito Lorenzana, were met by local
officials of Alaminos, Pangasinan. Lorenzana, a former Cabinet official of the
late President Corazon Aquino, is a known charter change advocate.
Rodriguez said over a
hundred Pangasinan officials and private sector representatives attended the
meeting and support the holding of a constitutional convention.
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