A writer cleverly described mischievous monkeys in a Chinese horoscope saying, ‘While they may not all be thieves; they are all liars.’
In the same manner, I would not accuse all senators and members of congress as Cong. Tractors or Kurakot/Corrupt. But I might venture to say they are all addicted to political power and the influence.
It has become ‘a family business,’ a dynastic corporation and public funding source for their private enterprise. In addition, legislators have been given or grabbed power to harass, harangue, threaten or hold any person in contempt.
They use their power to meddle in the business of the executive department and to influence the appointment of prosecutors, judges, justices as well as senior government officials.
Legislators also get paid ridiculous sums of money for salaries, etc. They even get to appoint their ‘next of kin’ as confidential staff, have drivers and bodyguards and be called ‘Your Honor’ on demand!
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s call for ‘everyone’ to resign and have snap elections reflects how entrenched and hopeless the present set of legislators and officials of the executive are. Instead of a snap election, let’s change the Constitution.
Perhaps Sen. Alan Peter also sees the writing on the wall and believes that the fastest way to show sincere change is for the elected to resign. Try telling that to a chain smoker, an alcoholic or a drug addict.
Smokers and alcoholics don’t quit unless there is a serious medical event such as stroke, heart attack, lung or liver cancer or pulmonary disease. In some rare cases, they stop because someone in the house is pregnant or sick.
In the case of drug addicts, it’s worse. They are willing to do serious harm to their bodies, resort to crime to fund their drug habit and often end up causing harm or endangering their family members and neighbors.
As far as political power, money and influence go, I would say that with the exception of a few saints, most of our legislators, the judiciary and the executive would clinically qualify as power addicts, especially members of Congress.
How else can we explain their shameless efforts in establishing political dynasties, horse trading with so-called political opponents that are in actuality nothing more than a game of musical chairs?
Last but not least, similar to drug addicts, some political addicts in Congress were, or are, willing to kill opponents and terrorize a congressional district.
For the recommended treatment protocol, ‘Dr. Beltran’ suggests:
#1 Totally eradicate or remove the party-list system in Congress. The greatest damage in the fund diversion/insertions in the ghost flood control projects involved party-list representatives.
Each party-list group allegedly gets an annual appropriation of P150 million from DPWH, even without a physical congressional district.
The party-list system has been turned into an alternative mechanism to perpetuate political dynasties where the wife, son, daughter or in-law of a legislator turns Congress into a family picnic for funds and power.
Remove all 63 party-list groups and we solve some of the headaches as well as the problems.
#2 Reduce the functions and powers of Congress and limit these to plain and simple legislation or lawmaking. Bring back the original design and intent to their ‘power of the purse’ and limit it to check and balance.
If we take away their power to insert, reduce or relocate or allocate funds, if we deny them the power and influence to appoint government officials in their district or region, we neutralize all the deal making.
#3 Require all applicants/candidates for legislator to undergo courses related to crafting laws, public administration and ethics.
#4 Remove the function of Senate and Congressional investigation, particularly the weaponized contempt powers. Limit that authority to the DOJ, NBI, PNP, AFP, COA and ombudsman.
#5 All legislation should be based on established, professional research and surveys done over 12 months at least, fact checked and consulted with concerned offices of the judiciary and executive department.
#6 Rationalize the benefits and compensation of members of Congress and the Senate in comparison to private sector executive compensation. Remove all incidental perks such as security detail, vehicles and the like.
#7 Strictly enforce an anti-dynasty bill down to the third generation as well as extended family or in-laws. Only one member of a family should be allowed to hold office at a time.
#8 Require all candidates for legislative office to undergo a thorough drug test every six months and a psych evaluation test mid-term. If the PNP and the LTO can require such tests for applicants, then the same should apply to would-be members of Congress, even the executive department.
#9 Last but not least, all applicants should have a certificate of integrity attesting them to be the husband or wife of only one spouse, absolutely free and clear of any complaints regarding acts of violence or abandonment of family, whether physical, financial or psychological.
I make these suggestions that can be accomplished legally or by force of public clamor and pressure, in order to make being a member of Congress or the Senate challenging, unprofitable and unattractive.
If it is unprofitable, unimpressive and less persuasive, politicians will not invest hundreds of millions in campaign expenditures because they can’t get or steal the money back.