DILG urges House panel to approve bid to strengthen political parties

The Department of the Interior and Local Government appealed Friday to the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments for the approval of their proposal to strengthen political parties as public institutions, anti-turncoatism provisions, and for the anti-political dynasty provisions to be self-executionary.

In a statement, DILG's Inter-Agency Task Force Constitutional Reform (Task Force CORE) welcomed the House panel's approval of the resolution amending the Constitution to allow longer terms for lawmakers.

"We congratulate the House panel led by Chairman Rufus Rodriguez for taking this bold step and for responding to the President's call for Constitutional reform," DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, executive director of Task Force CORE said.

Malaya however urged the House panel to approve the said proposals, which also include a campaign finance reform through the creation of a democracy fund to be run by Commission on Elections.

"While we fully support the proposal to increase the terms of our politicians to 5 years with 1 reelection, this must come with political reforms otherwise we continue to perpetuate our weak political party system that is prone to abuse and elite capture. We urgently need to shift from elections based on personalities to one based on political parties with distinctive policies and programs and this is a concrete way to make that happen," Malaya added.

The Task Force CORE also submitted proposed "equality provisions," including increasing the Internal Revenue Allotment of LGUs as provided in the Mandanas ruling, and a provision empowering the regions by transforming the Regional Development Council to Regional Development Authority that will have funding and full powers to decide which development projects will be approved and implemented.

"These proposals respond to the clamor of the provinces for more resources and authority to allow them to catch up with the economy of the richest regions in Luzon led by Metro Manila. These are the equality provisions for the benefit of the rural areas so that they may partake of the economic development of the country," Malaya  said.

Malaya pointed out the if they were able to gather the support of 256 local chief executives and hundreds more local officials, where some 22,469 various citizens, barangay officials, SK members, non-government organizations, and have them signed for the proposed reforms.

The Task Force CORE was established by President Rodrigo Duterte under Memorandum Circular No. 52. —Jamil Santos/LBG, GMA News