FVR revives push for parliamentary form of government

As the Duterte administration seeks constitutional amendments for a shift  to a federal government, former President Fidel Ramos has revived his push for a parliamentary system.

Speaking at a news forum on Wednesday, Ramos said a parliamentary system, in which national executives are chosen from among lawmakers elected in congressional districts,  gives more citizens easier access to opportunities at governance.

"I have been advocating to change to parliamentary system transforming from the presidential form invoked upon us by the Americans for the past 115 years. Unang-una, parliamentary system muna then vote for federalism or puwede rin a combination of federalism and something else witll emerge," Ramos said.

"Ang punto ko rito yung young people natin at age 25 have an equal chance of being elected at a national position because of the parliamentary special arrangement that if you are a new lawmaker you also get an executive position," he added.

Ramos said a young lawmaker could be trained early as regards the budgeting process and how appropriations are implemented.

"You also learn public relations. You also learn governance because it is not only lawmaking that is governance, it is prospering your community, prospering your neighbor," Ramos said.

“That is the beauty of the system that I like kasi there will be no accidental presidents just because you belong to a dynasty or because you have plenty of money,” he said.

Ramos said politicians from different political parties should move away from transferring to one party to another similar to the exodus of congressmen shifting their loyalty to the PDP-Laban of President Rodrigo Duterte from the Liberal Party of former President Benigno Aquino III.

“Governance and politics must be based on platforms and not on personalities of different political parties as you see now there is a massive outflow from the Liberal Party because the president belongs to another party,” Ramos said. —NB, GMA News