RETIRED Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide has recommended a four-year fixed term for congressmen, provincial, city and municipal elective officials as part of reforms in the electoral system.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in his “View from the Palace” column on Sunday Davide also suggested different dates for national and local elections.
President Arroyo has asked Davide to make recommendations on constitutional reforms.
Bunye said Davide’s report covered a wide array of proposals and did not dwell exclusively on improving the credibility and integrity of the Commission on Elections.
Davide also proposed that Malacañang be barred from appointing elective local officials and members of the House of Representatives to any public office during the term for which they were elected.
Senators, he added, should also not be appointed to any public office within three years from their election.
He also wants a ban on political dynasties and prohibiting elective public officials from switching parties during their term.
Davide also recommended that proponents of Charter change consider certain electoral reforms proposed by the Consultative Commission, including the return to a two-party system.
Political parties, he added, should also be provided financial assistance on the basis of their share of the votes. Foreign governments should be prohibited from giving financial contributions to political parties, he said.
The Davide report recommended amending the Omnibus Election Code, among them the imposition of higher penalties for election offenses, including imprisonment.
He proposed a fixed period by which regular courts should decide election cases to avoid the current practice of resolving election protests a few months before the next elections.
Allies of President Arroyo in the House on Sunday defended the Palace’s stronger push for Charter change through the people’s initiative.
At the same time they acknowledged the concern of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines over such an initiative, but assured the CBCP that they would firmly oppose any unlawful and unconstitutional avenues to bring about constitutional reforms.
Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats Reps. Exequiel Javier of Antique, vice-chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, and Salacnib Baterina of Ilocos Sur, vice-chairman of the Committee on Justice, said the public has been vigilant over the process while Charter-change proponents are advocating for transparency to carry out Charter change.
In a pastoral letter, the CBCP expressed support for Charter change, but expressed concern about the signatures for people’s initiative being collected without adequate information, discussion and education.
But Majority Leader Prospero Nograles seemed uncomfortable with the CBCP pronouncement.
He reminded the bishops that the move to amend the Constitution is “purely a political question.
“As Catholics, we shall always respect the bishops’ advice and their observations about people’s initiative. We must, however, remind them that this exercise is purely a political question and the initiative must also be respected by the CBCP as the people’s will and their free expression,” Nograles said.
--With Maricel V. Cruz
Davide: Fix terms at 4 years
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