First things first EDITORIAL 06/02/2010

First things first

EDITORIAL Click to enlarge 06/02/2010 One of the first things that should be done by the incoming Congress is to come up with a legislative measure calling for a constitutional convention, where duly elected delegates will be mandated to draft a new Constitution. This is an important step to be made by the Congress — as well as the new Malacañang tenant — to usher in the much needed political reforms in the system, if this country is to get anywhere, and if we, as a people, want to see independent democratic institutions we have been denied for so long. The problem we are always bugged with, even when we elect new leaders, whether they come from the administration or the opposition, but more especially from the opposition, is the fact that once in power and position, their first move would be to control both Houses of Congress, which is natural for any leader to want — except that in gaining control of Congress, what the leaders really aim for is control to effect the full protection of the Malacañang tenant, to the point of covering up for whatever transgressions and violations of the Charter are committed. And in the process, this tends to prostitute the members of Congress, offering them bribes, or withholding their pork barrel allocations to get them to toe the Palace line. To cite an example, when the Liberal Party members were allies of Gloria Arroyo and enjoying the perks of being Palace allies, the Senate, then headed by now Senator-elect Franklin Drilon and his bloc in the upper chamber, ensured that the investigations in the Senate into the allegations of corrupt deals in Malacañang, would lead nowhere, as they were all protecting Gloria and her administration..... MORE   Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100602com1.html

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