Padilla: Officials' nonappearance proves need for parliamentary system shift

After government department officials failed to appear during Friday's Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision on Codes hearing on amendments to the 1987 Charter, Committee Chair Senator Robin Padilla said that the nonappearance of the officials proved his point that the country needed to shift to a parliamentary system.

"Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit hirap na hirap ang Senado na mag imbita ng ibang secretary. Hindi ko po alam sapagka’t itong Constitution natin ngayon sa 1987, ang sinasabi nito, merong balanseng kapangyarihan ang legislative at ang executive. Ibig sabihin, pantay tayo ng kapangyarihan," Padilla said.

(I cannot understand why the Senate is having difficulty in inviting government secretaries when our Constitution states that the legislative and executive are co-equal branches of the government with equal authority.)

"Kapag inimbita sana ang taga-executive sana po ay mapagbibigyan nyo kami sapagka’t dito, di kami mga marites o parites. Itong bagay na ito ay hindi isang bagay na isinasantabi sapagka’t Saligang Batas po ito. This cannot be set aside because this is the Constitution," Padilla added.

(When you get invited here, you should show up because we are not here for gossip. You cannot just set us aside because this is about the Constitution.)

Padilla said under a parliamentary system with a unicameral congress, Parliament would elect who among its members would serve as Prime Minister.

Also, under a parliamentary system, the heads of government agencies would also come from Parliament.

"I wish we were in a parliamentary system because they would have been obliged to show up. We can exchange views with them and have a healthy exchange," Padilla said.

While the Department of Energy had sent a letter saying it would provide "written comments at a later date after due internal study,” Padilla said that the Constitution merits the interest of all stakeholders.

"Gusto natin bumalanse. Pero kung ganyan ang maabutan natin dito, mag-parliamentary na lang tayo. Wala na pong paguusapan dito kundi mag-parliamentary na tayo para harap-harapan tayo. Ang hirap nito sa 'taguan,' hindi ako sanay sa 'taguan,'" Padilla said.

(I want to hear both sides. But we might as well shift to Parliamentary so people won't be hiding like this.)

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, who was present during the hearing, agreed.

"Parliamentary system is not a panacea, but it can improve our system because the head of the agency implementing the laws passed by Parliament belongs to the Parliament. There's no escape [for these heads of agencies]," Pimentel added. — DVM, GMA News