Some people are already posting who they're voting for openly. Some don't make it shy that they're for the Leni-Kiko Tandem and the others for the BBM-Sara tandem. Others want to have outgoing Vice President Leni Loud Robredo as president and Sara Duterte-Carpio as vice president. The election is coming and it's very easy to argue over who to vote for. If there was any reason why I got too focused on demonizing the late Noynoy Aquino - it's the way Get Real Philippines does its criticisms. I'm seeing others are still chummy with each other even if one's wearing pink (for Leni Loud) and red (for Bobong Marcos). However, it's very easy to see people ruin friendships over politics in a presidential system. It's because the presidential system is pretty much a winner takes all system.
One of my reasons to desire to go parliamentary has to do with the fixed term limits. Some of outgoing President Rodrigo R. Duterte's finished projects started with Noynoy. Now, Duterte has a loan for more projects. Six years just isn't enough compared to what the late Lee Kuan Yew did during his 30-year reign in Singapore. Truth is neither Duterte nor Noynoy could do what Lee Kuan Yew did or Mahathir bin Mohamad did. I believe that term limits should be based on "Is this politician good?" than a fixed term. It's like if a prime minister does good then he or she is entitled to re-election. However, if a prime minister is scandalous, he or she should be disqualified from holding office. Joseph "Erap" Estrada would've probably been no longer in office if we are a Parliament. Instead, Erap resigned from presidency but had the nerve to run again for president.
Another issue worth tackling is how the parliamentary system can make it easier to maintain friendships. This would be true that DDS and Dilawans could've remained friends UNDER a parliamentary system. It's not wrong, per see, for Noynoy to criticize Duterte's shortcomings. However, there's hardly any legal platform to do so. All Noynoy had, until he died, was just him voicing out his opinions without being able to hold Duterte accountable with his own set of ministers. It wouldn't be so under a parliamentary system.
Another issue worth tackling is how the parliamentary system can make it easier to maintain friendships. This would be true that DDS and Dilawans could've remained friends UNDER a parliamentary system. It's not wrong, per see, for Noynoy to criticize Duterte's shortcomings. However, there's hardly any legal platform to do so. All Noynoy had, until he died, was just him voicing out his opinions without being able to hold Duterte accountable with his own set of ministers. It wouldn't be so under a parliamentary system.
It's not a winner takes all in parliament
The parliamentary system would be voting based on party-based platforms. In short, there would be no need to say, "Don't vote for Leni Loud if you're not voting for Kikoman Pangilinan." Instead, all it takes is one check on the Liberal Party and you get Leni Loud and her whole cabinet. One check for the Lakas-CMD means voting for Bobong and his entire cabinet. So, let's make the imaginary scenario where Lakas-CMD becomes the government. However, Leni Loud gets enough support to become the shadow government with her own list of ministers. It's not like the presidential system where the majority wins and the minority hardly has a voice. Democracy is NOT a rule of the majority but a rule of the PEOPLE, by the PEOPLE, and for the PEOPLE. That's real democracy!
It doesn't matter if Bobong or Leni Loud becomes the prime minister. What matters is that they would follow the rules and uphold confidence. The prime minister is given the job to run the government. The opposition leader is given the job to question the government and hold it accountable. The voice of the minority is now REALLY HEARD. The majority wins but the minority has the duty to hold it accountable. It would have a representation for both majority and minority. The aim of the Parliament is to discuss national solutions at the weekly question hour. Bobong must show his solution as the prime minister. Leni Loud must show her alternative courses as the opposition leader. It's no individual press conference but a massive formal debate that should take place weekly.
Every minister (or secretary) has a corresponding shadow minister. A good example would be how it'd been better if Michael Aguinaldo functioned as the Shadow Minister of Audit since he's a Liberal Party stalwart. Aguinaldo could've cross-examined the actual Minister of Audit and given his own evaluations over the expenses of each and every government department. Just imagine if Francisco Duque as the health minister who had to answer every week to a shadow health minister. It would be easy to see if Duque is doing his job or not. Just remember not so many people ever do their jobs without supervision. Successful organizations have good supervision. Get rid of supervision and you get rid of motivation to do well. The HEALTHY competition between the government and opposition is there.
The parliamentary encourage healthy debates toward a win-win scenario. One needs to take a look at how Singapore's weekly questioning works. Lee Hsien Loong is proving himself better because there's an opposition he's accountable to. The voices of the minority are heard to see if they're right. It's because a real democracy focuses on who's right and not the numbers. The ruling by numbers is but the tyranny of the majority and not democracy.
Comments
Post a Comment