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Out with political dynasties - analyst
By Jenny Lynne G. Aguilar
Abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak
Nearly every town has a political dynasty, says a 2006 study of the
Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
Reacting to this phenomenon, political analyst Ramon Casiple on Wednesday
told a conglomerate of government officials, NGO representatives,
professors and students to challenge the pervasiveness of political
families by getting real and dedicated leaders in the system.
Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Electoral and Political
Reforms, spoke in one of the roundtable discussions in this year’s
Panibagong Paraan with local governance as the theme, It was held at the
Megatrade Halls of Megamall in Mandaluyong.
“There is a need to develop leadership from below,” he said. “NGOs
since 1987 have been derelict in one role and that is to engage and
participate in governance.”
And if these leaders were able to penetrate the government or at least the
legislative arm then the people’s initiative provision of the
Constitution to pass the implementing law on banning the proliferation of
political families could be close to reality.
The people’s initiative exercise is given flesh in the Local Government
Code of 1991. Registered voters of a province, city, municipality, or
barangay can declare loss of confidence in any elected local official, and
file a petition to recall that official. The law requires 12% of the total
number of registered voters and at least three percent support from each
legislative districts to make PI possible.
For Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel of AKBAYAN, an informed citizenry can
get to gradually abolish political clans in our country.
“We are the ultimate solution to dynasty,” she said. “We should be
conscious of our rights and power – dynasty can not win over our will.”
No strong parties
“The many ills of our society such as corruption and poverty are usually
traceable to this phenomenon called political dynasties,” Casiple said.
“And despite our Constitution totally denouncing political families; its
implementation is hardly possible.”
A report from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism shows
that 60% of the representatives in the last Congress had been part of
these dynasties and spent most of their time doling out jobs and favors
using their pork-barrel funds.
Political dynasties are not something new. Moreover, it is not a situation
that is only common here in the Philippines. Even the United States has
its dynasties like the Clintons and the Bushes.
But what makes our situation different?
“Before, these dynasties were by products of our party system but now we
hardly have any organized, platform-driven and disciplined party,”
Casiple said.
Our politics nowadays is mainly based on personality and patronage system.
Even worse, electoral campaigns are fueled not by principles or programs
but the large sums of money that these candidates are willing to shell
out.
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