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| NGOs Set Agenda for Next President |
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| Thursday, 04 February 2010 06:56 |
 MANILA, Philippines - CITING disregard for the principles of separation of powers, checks and balances and transparency arising from President Macapagal-Arroyo's alleged determination to hold on to power beyond 2010, civil society has presented a 40-point "development and reform agenda" for the next administration. The proposed reforms would help the next President address the most serious problems the country is facing: "mal-governance, global economic crisis and climate change." Preferably, the agenda should be implemented by Ms Arroyo's successor during the first three years of his or her term, said the Caucus of Development NGO Networks (Code-NGO), which groups the country's 12 biggest social development networks. In a paper furnished the Inquirer, Code-NGO said its development and reform agenda was "organized along four basic pillars—ensuring empowerment and democratization, reducing poverty and inequality, building peace and promoting a sustainable economy." The network's policy recommendations include the following: • Limit the President's appointive powers in the Executive branch; • Ensure that Cabinet appointments, as well as those in Constitutional bodies, the judiciary and state-owned firms are transparent; • Appoint a competent and credible Ombudsman; • Regulate the roles of the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police during elections; • Certify as urgent the Freedom of Information bill in Congress; • Push for the election of delegates to a Constitutional Convention during the next midterm elections; • Ensure that the National Anti-Poverty Commission has genuine NGO and people's organization representatives; • Implement CARP extension with reforms and respect the rights of women farmers and fisherfolk; • Set aside 15 kilometers of municipal coastal waters for the exclusive use of marginalized fisherfolk; • Fast-track delineation and titling of indigenous people's lands; • Increase PhilHealth coverage among the poorest and most vulnerable sectors; • Institute a clear and rational population policy; • Pursue and sustain the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army, and the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Mindanao; • Stop the proliferation of small firearms; • Certify as urgent the Disaster Risk Management Act; • Work toward the speedy implementation of the Climate Change Act of 2009; • Bring back mining within the framework of national sustainable development; • Supplement the Internal Revenue Allotment of LGUs with the President's Social Fund and other discretionary funds of the Office of the President; • Impose more "sin" and higher luxury taxes, simplify the income tax system and ensure effective tax collection; and • Form a Debt Audit Commission that will scrutinize all public debts and contingent liabilities. According to Code-NGO, "the new administration is faced with the challenge of taking the country out of one of the darkest periods in our history." "The current President has been consistently marked by low approval and trust ratings in the last four years by Filipinos in all geographical areas and social classes. This is not at all surprising given that she has been hounded by a string of high-level scandals," noted Code-NGO. Other top government officials "have not fared better in the court of public opinion. Constitutional bodies such as the Commission on Elections and crucial agencies for accountability such as the Ombudsman have been weakened." "The country's new set of leaders must be at the helm of the renewal of our political institutions. The new administration must commit itself to the cause of upholding transparency, civil service and constitutional reforms, as well as genuine people's participation," said Code-NGO. In the political arena, "we are in a democratic recession characterized by widespread corruption, abuse of power in the appointment of government executives, lack of transparency and accountability, inefficiency, and constricting space for people participation." "This crisis in mal-governance stems from our profound lack of sense of naional culture that has impeded our progress as a nation since time immemorial," Code-NGO said. The global economic crisis, on the other hand, "is affecting our exports, foreign investments, overseas Filipino workers' remittances, and ultimately, the jobs and incomes of Filipinos. This is the worst economic crisis since the 1930s and recovery from it will take several years." Climate change and other environmental problems "have now combined to worsen our natural disasters brought about by typhoons and drought." "The next administration must clearly address these problems," said Code-NGO, which is chaired by Anna Marie Karaos of the Partnership of Philippine Support Service Agencies. In a statement, Code-NGO said it would "strive to make the presidential and other candidates in the coming polls study and adopt its policy recommendations." The network held the "Civil Society Forum with 2010 Presidential Candidates" at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City. However, only Bro. Eddie Villanueva, Jesus is Lord Fellowship head, and civil society leader Nicanor Perlas took part in the dialogue. (Reprinted from the Philippine Daily Inquirer) |