Pimentel

Parliamentary system of gov’t more suited to ‘turbulent’ times

September 2, 2022 PS Jun M. Sarmiento 347 views

SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III expressed his belief that adopting a parliamentary form of government would be beneficial for the Philippines as it is more suitable for Filipino culture.

Pimentel said this during the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendment and Revision of Codes hearing on Friday (Sept. 2, 2022).

The minority leader explained that unlike in a presidential system wherein the executive branch is the one that implements laws created by Congress, in a parliamentary system, there is a merging or fusion of legislative and executive powers.

Furthermore, Pimentel said that under a parliamentary form of government, the parliament determines the composition of the executive branch, and its mission is to implement laws and programs authorized by the legislature.

Pimentel said that now is the “right time” to review a shift to a parliamentary system of government, especially with the fast-changing technology, science, and economic policies and theories.

“If the country adopts a parliamentary system of government, it can react more quickly to the rapid changes in technology, society, and geopolitical trends,” Pimentel said.

For his part, Sen. Francis Tolentino said the discussions are very timely, and he expressed his support for discussions that can help to improve and promote good governance.

The senator from Tagaytay said that the debates on the amendments to the Constitution reminded him of a 1962 speech of former Senate President Camilo Osias saying that “a government must necessarily go through periodic change”.

Tolentino said that he hopes the discussion will be elevated nationally, to a level beyond partisan politics and reaching the grassroots level.