End to political dynasties long overdue

By Herbert Vego

 

SPEAKER Alan Peter Cayetano made a flawed argument when he blamed “term limits” as the reason behind the proliferation of political dynasties where relatives within the second degree of consanguinity run for different positions either simultaneously or successively.

On the contrary and obviously, it’s the non-implementation of the Constitutional provision against political dynasty that has enabled Cayetano and his ilk to thrive in politics. He and his wife Lani are representatives of the 1^st and 2^nd districts of Taguig City.

I still recall that before the 2019 local elections, a certain Leonides Buac Jr. petitioned the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to reject the Cayetanos’ certificates of candidacy, arguing that “a married couple can only maintain one legal residence at any given time.”

The Comelec listened to Cayetano, who argued that they have two separate residences.

With his younger brother, Lino Cayetano, elected as Taguig City mayor and their sister Pia as senator, can we blame the people for imputing “greed” on them?

But of course, they are not the only dynasty in the Philippines. Mentioning the rest would take longer space than this column could contain.

The Speaker now wants to dance the “cha-cha” – to amend the Constitution, that is – on the pretext that the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) is pushing for it.

LMP President Luis “Chavit” Singson (mayor of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur), was quoted as saying that they would like “to lift restrictions on foreign investment in industries currently limited to Filipinos.”

Bayan Muna, a militant party-list group opposes the proposed “cha-cha” because it could be geared towards allowing China to further intrude into the country’s maritime territory and sovereignty at the West Philippine Sea.

Under Section 2 Article XII of the present Constitution, the exploration, development and utilization of natural resources can only be undertaken by the state through joint ventures with Filipino citizens or corporations, at least sixty percent of whose capital should be owned by Filipinos.

Unless amended, the Constitution bars the government from undertaking joint explorations with the Chinese government or 100 percent Chinese-owned corporations.

For Cayetano, Charter change would also mean abolishing the anti-dynasty provision and the term limitations of elective officials.

Committee on Constitutional Amendments chairman Cagayan De Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, however, begged of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to “shelve the Cha-cha indefinitely so we can focus on measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The 1987 Philippine Constitution, in Article II Section 26, states, “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”

The framers of the Constitution must have expected that the Congress elected after the 1986 Edsa uprising would promptly enact the requisite enabling law while a revolutionary mood still prevailed.

A bill drafted by former Congressman Edgar Erice (LP, Caloocan City) during the time of President Noynoy Aquino proposed, “No spouse, or person related within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, whether legitimate or illegitimate, full or half-blood, to an incumbent elective official seeking re-election shall be allowed to hold or run for any local or national elective office in the same election.”

The Erice bill and several others with the same intention did not go beyond the level of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments.

Considering the fact that most congressmen always have family members occupying high political posts, an anti-dynasty law would work against their personal interest.

Therefore, the Constitutional Commission that framed the 1987 Constitution erred in entrusting to the House and the Senate the responsibility of substantiating their intent to abolish political dynasties.

We need not look far to realize how extensive political dynasties have proliferated. Here in Western Visayas, we have whole districts or provinces dominated by two or more members of the same family.

On the other hand, there are also siblings, parents and cousins who run against each other. Well, blood may be thicker than water, but political power is thicker than blood.

Their lame excuse for running whether alongside or against each other, “It’s not ours but the people’s will that ultimately prevails.”

We voters know that since they always buy votes, they would have to “recover expenses” by hook or by crook while in office.

That leads us to the Biblical injunction: “The love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10).

-oOo-

There is no truth to the rumor that MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), the new power distributor in Iloilo City, charges a higher cost per kilowatt-hour than its predecessor,  Panay Electric Company (PECO).

MORE gives more for less at around P9.60/kWh for residential consumers.

During its last days as distribution utility, PECO was charging a residential rate of P10.35/kWh.

MORE Power’s secret?

It sources out its load requirements from various cost-effective power suppliers, namely Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC), Panay Power Corporation (PPC), KEPCO SPC Power Corporation (KSPC), Aboitiz Power Renewables, Inc., and the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

Another good news is that MORE Power has replaced hundreds of aging distribution transformers and electric poles; and fixed thousands of hotspot connectors.

MORE Power president and chief operating officer Ruel Castro reassured Ilonggos that the company would spend P1.8 billion to rehabilitate and upgrade Iloilo City’s power distribution system in the next three years.