And so Tyrone threw me a Richard Gutierrez for Senator question:

“Hi Reynz, in your opinion, which systems is more applicable given the Philippine setting of politics – is it the presidential or parliamentary form of government?”

Man, I’m telling you. This is such one heated topic. Parliamentary. Presidential. Which system fits the Philippines? In fact, this is the mother of all the fires you see in Congress – proposing amendments to revise the Constitution. Did I read it right that they passed this during the height of Ondoy? I think I read it here in the Barrio. I just couldn’t recall what entry.

What I know is that, we will never be a fully developed country because we have legislators who have not matured and have been eternally stucked discussing what form of government we ought to have. But behind Filipinos backs there are some personal economy multiplying exponentially! In fact, there is one family which is one full government in itself.

Prices are rising.
The metropolitan is flooding.
Exports are dropping.
Drugs seemed like a permanent metro fixture now.
Unemployment is mind boggling.
Urban povery is not art.
Population is one twisted indifferent calculus.

Our legislators believe that it’s the system that’s wrong. But what’s true is that we are in such deep political shit, we are so polarized. Still.

Economics on the sidelines. That’s not the priority. It’s the system of dysfunctional governance. Always. Like this is something new.

How do we fare with the rest? Well, our rankings in the World Global Competitiveness dropped from 71 to 87, and we’re the only Asian country with a 16 point drop. Even Malaysia surpassed the country in English proficiency. Yet, we are the English speaking one.

What we know: The Presidential System

Let’s start with what we know. What we know is that we have a presidential form of government like America. Or like most of South American nations. Yes, they are as troubled as we are. My friend would always remind me, that’s because of those bloody Spaniards. We will be forever called “los indios!”.

Ok. So, under the presidential system, the President is both the head of state and head of government, elected through popular vote with a fixed term, read: direct mandate of the people with a fixed term.

Under this system, the President heads the executive branch and is distinct and separate from the legislative and judicial branches. That separation of powers serves as check and control balance.

Impeachment? That’s how you remove a President.

What we don’t know: The Parliamentary System

Under this form of government, the Prime Minister is the Chief Executive who exercises executive power to form and implement policies and programs. Of course, that’s a teamwork with the Cabinet. Typically, he/she is the leader of the political party that wins the majority vote in the parliament. The cabinet members, just like in the presidential system, are chosen by the Prime Minister.

There is a President in the parliamentary form. For decoration. With ceremonial powers. Don’t ask me why. That I don’t understand. Angelina Jolie is the better option or for me Brad Pitt.

One of the things that proponents of the parliamentary system love to tell the Filipino people is the amount of time it would save in terms of policies and programs. Why? Because of the fusion of the executive and the legislative branches. And if you think the control and check balances disappeared, not really, because the executive is held accountable and answerable to the members of the Parliament.

Now, how do you get rid of rotten chicken eggs? (Prime Minister or Cabinet)

Two ways.

One, you are very familiar.

Vote of no-confidence. This one is typically initiated by the opposition party or a coalition of the depressed.

Second, if you’re the Prime Minister and for as long as you have full support of the house, you literally can be a dictator, dissolve the house and call for an election and have a party.

Proponents of the parliamentary form believes that this will solve the systemic gridlock in Congress and offer a much better control and balance needed to check corruption. Whereas, those advocates of the status quo accused the parliamentary proponents of twisted self-serving anti-abortion like objectives, like pro-life?

And those are essentially what separates one from the other. In terms of leadership, separation of powers and removal from office.

Result? Juan is in trouble. Again.

To be or not to be, that is the question.

To many, this presidential form of government which is an implant from the Americans is not working because most of our neighbors have left us behind economically and they’re mostly parliamentary. Yes, according to them it’s the system and not the leaders. And those in powers are the only ones who gets better in life. Read: parliamentary form is better.

Really?

Would you like to briefly take a look at the personal profile of those Con-Ass proponents? Try it.

If you think about it, both systems have checks and control. At lot of them. The Presidential form have three distinct and separate branches of government that checks one another. How’s our record on this end?

If you think about it, both systems offer a tube to spit out rotten bananas. Impeachment in the presidential form, vote of no-confidence in the parliamentary form. How’s our record on this end?

If you think about it, both systems still has some form of mandate by the people. How’s the Comelec record on this end?

If you think about it, even Congressmen and Senators are answerable to their fellow legislators. And so, corruption could have been checked. How’s our record on this end?

Now what?

Interestingly, if you go look around our neighbors, Thailand is not presidential, but not only have they managed to improve their economy, but also, they have licked their nasty traffic problems.

Malaysia is not presidential, but not only do they have one world class urban planning to resolve the nasty flooding in Kuala Lumpur, they are already strategically positioning their car industry to compete with the world.

Was it because they have a parliamentary form of government? Should I now vote for the parliamentary form and go ahead with the ConAss?

I remember one blog entry in the Barrio, “A politics of the personal” which was forwarded to me. Although that entry was about Noynoy’s candidacy, in it, it says:

“There is nothing wrong with our culture nor with the expectations of our people. What is wrong is that our leaders continually betray them and their hopes.”

Social trust.

It’s not the system.

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