5 possible reasons why PNoy floated Chacha and term extension

From Pixel Offensive
Faced with overwhelming opposition to a Charter Change to allow President Aquino to extend his term beyond 2016, Malacañang has backtracked and assured the public that he is not supporting changes in the Constitution in the last two years of his presidency.

Press Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr and Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte can resort to all kinds of spins but it is on record (TV5’s interview Aug. 13 interview) that Aquino said he was open to charter change to clip the powers of the Supreme Court and to another term.
But why did Aquino float it in the first place?

We can think of five possible reasons:

1. He doesn’t want to be considered a lameduck.

Online dictionairies define “lameduck” as “A president who is completing a term of office and chooses not to run or is ineligible to run for reelection; politicians who are known to be in their final term of office, when colleagues and electors look toward a successor.

Politicians gravitate to where their interests are served. That means being allied with someone who will be in a position of power for a long time. A possible second term will dissuade those who are thinking of going to the other side to stay on with him.

It’s understandable that Aquino is anxious that he should continue being seen as a source of formidable political clout by members of Congress because he still has some important legislations to pass, one of them the Bangsamoro Law.

Impeachment complaints have been filed against Aquino. It is unlikely to pass in the House with the administration coalition in the majority. A possible second term for Aquino would make an effective disincentive for those who are being convinced to sign on to the complaint.

2. He has not gotten over the unanimous rejection that he got from the Supreme Court of his Disbursement Accelerated Program or DAP.

With his own appointees voting against his pet initiative, Aquino felt betrayed. He had expected some justices voting against it and was told that it would be a close vote, 7-6 in their favor.

When it was 13-0, declaring parts of DAP unconstitutional, Aquino couldn’t take it.
As playwright William Congreve said “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”

3. Aquino’s party, the Liberal Party, is desperate who to put up against Vice President Jejomar Binay, the political opposition’s candidate in the 2016 presidential elections, who is far ahead of other possible presidential candidates, in the surveys.

The numbers of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas are not improving. It is doubtful if Aquino’s endorsement could carry Roxas to Malacanang in 2016.

If not Roxas, who in LP? Senate President Franklin Drilon? His numbers are no better than Roxas’s.

Aquino’s desire to have a partymate as successor is understandable not only to continue his programs but also to make sure that he would be protected from cases that are expected to be filed against him when he is no longer in Malacañang.

4. He is enjoying being president. Kung makalusot, why not?

5. Type lang niya i-gudtime ang madlang pipol.

Listen to your mother

The outpouring of grief that catapulted Noynoy Aquino to the presidency.

The outpouring of grief that catapulted Noynoy Aquino to the presidency.

Had former President Cory Aquino not died on Aug. 1, 2009, her son, Benigno Aquino III would not be in Malacañang today.

At the time of Cory’s death, nine months before the May 2010 presidential elections, Noynoy Aquino, who had an unremarkable record as legislator (9 years as representative of the 2nd district of Tarlac and three years as senator), was not in anybody’s mind for the highest position in the land.

He was catapulted to the presidency by the people’s sympathy for his mother.

He owes his presidency to his mother.

Last Wednesday, in an interview with Mel Sta. Maria, TV5’s resident legal analyst, Aquino said, whereas before he was averse to amending the Constitution, he is now open to it as he wants the powers of the Supreme Court clipped.

On extension of his term that Interior Secretary Mar Roxas is pushing, he did not disapprove of it. He said he is listening to the people whom he refers to as his “boss.”

This is the transcript of that TV5 interview:

Sta. Maria: Sarado ba kayo sa pag-aamyenda ng Constitution hanggang ngayon?

Aquino: Bago nito, bago nangyari lahat ng ito, sarado….aminado ako .Pero ngayon, napapag-isip ako talaga… yung tinatawag na judicial reach. Yung kongreso, yung executive, kumilos kayo, pero anytime, puede namin kayong kastiguhin.

Yung kongreso, executive, kumilos kayo, pero anytime, puede namin kayong kastiguhin…at parang imbes na magkaroon ng tinatawag na judicial restraint, bihira lang ito ginagamit, parang masyadong madalas ginagamit, parang masyadong madalas ginagamit. Ngayon, yung balance between the three branches, tila nawala.
“Marami pang ibang provisions na pwedeng i-fine tune, pwedeng i-update. Kinakaba ko lang noong araw naman na baka ang magagandang provision baka ma-dilute.

On term extension, Aquino said: Nung pinasukan ko ito, ang tanda ko one term of six years…Ngayon, after having said that, syempre ang mga boss ko, kelangan kong pakinggan ‘yon.

Hindi naman ibig sabihin..na automatic na hahabol pa ako na magkaroon pa ako ng dagdag dito, ‘no?

On the fifth anniversary of Cory Aquino’s death last Aug. 1, the President’s office released a statement recalling her fight against the dictatorship.

The statement said:”Even after her presidency, she remained active in the country’s affairs—a true icon of democracy not just in name but in actions.”

One of the post-Malacanang activities that Cory Aquino led was a protest rally in Rizal Park on Sept. 21, 1997 against moves by then President Fidel Ramos of changing the Constitution through a People’s Initiative.

'That is why we are here – to tell the people who want to stay in power, by martial law or Charter change; no way and never again. ' Cory Aquino, Sept. 21, 1997

‘That is why we are here – to tell the people who want to stay in power, by martial law or Charter change; no way and never again. ‘ Cory Aquino, Sept. 21, 1997

Excerpts of that stirring speech by Cory Aquino: “Twenty-five years ago, the President of the Philippines blew out the light of democracy and covered the nation in darkness. Congress was padlocked and the Supreme Court put under the gun. Journalists were picked up, newspapers were shut down. The public was blindfolded and gagged, and the country was robbed. Robbed for 14 years without let-up or hindrance, without limit or shame. Some of the best and brightest of our youth disappeared.

“Why? Because the President of the Philippines then wanted to change the Constitution so he could stay in power beyond the legal term.

“Fourteen years later, millions of Filipinos gathered in massive act of civil disobedience to send a single short message from this place: Tama na, sobra na…never mind the rest. One week later, His eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin called on those millions again to form a human shield around Fidel Ramos and Juan Ponce Enrile, because they had joined our fight for democracy.

“The flame of freedom burned again.

“Today, there is a dark wind blowing across our country again…the wind of ambition, a gathering storm of tyranny. We are here to shield that flame so that the light of democracy will not go out in our country again…..

“That is why we are here – to tell the people who want to stay in power, by martial law or Charter change; no way and never again. Do your worst, we will do our best to stop you. And we, the people will prevail.”
Since Aquino said he wants to hear from his “boss”, it would do him well to remember these words of his mother: “ Power intoxicates; too much power is addictive. And there will always be power drug dealers who will feed your habit as President.

“They will say you are right, when you are wrong. They will say you are successful, when you fail, and will insist you are indispensable, although you are just one of 70 million Filipinos who gave you the rare privilege to be their servant but only for your elected term. They will say that nobody can take your place, when what they mean is that they do not want to give up their places.

“Let me tell you now, the presidency is so great an honor, no one deserves to have it again. It imposes a duty so important – to guide a whole country and protect a whole nation – that you must do it well. “And if you did it well, you won’t deserve to do it again. Doing your job well was your duty and not a special favor to the country.

“There is a secret I would like to share. The honor of the Presidency is so great, no one needs to have it more once. The honor sticks to you. A president is never forgotten, whether he is good or bad. Better to be remembered as good one.”

Online tool ‘Constitute’ can help in reforming PH system

Crimes, disasters, sub-par services, civil wars & corruption scandals; these are the big problems faced by the Philippines right now which could have been caused by poor management and a lack of legal backbone. Other countries are also fighting to fix and establish systems that would work for the people and usually it starts with the constitution.

Constitute

Google Ideas has brought upon a new web tool called Constitute which allows everyone to have access to constitutions around the world and have them see what a certain nation has to say about a certain topic such as “Women’s Rights” or “Technology” for example.

You can also filter your searches with dates, and once you’ve pinned an article, you may compare them with other countries. In addition, you are also able to download PDF versions of the available constitutions; it might come in handy for some lawyers & students out there.

Philippine Problem

For a fun fact, Google stated in their blog that approximately five new constitutions are written every year, and 20-30 are amended or revised. If you look at our constitution, you’ll see that it has never been amended – not even once since 1987.

{source} {Constitute} {image source}

The post Online tool ‘Constitute’ can help in reforming PH system appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.