DAY 2
Draft Action and Legislative Agenda Presentation
A draft action and legislative agenda was consolidated from the
legislative and action points discussed and agreed upon by the workshop
groups and the plenary during the previous day and was then presented
to the body for comments and refinements. Mr. Ramon Casiple presented
the declaration point-by-point and solicited comments and suggestions
in the formulation.
Minor refinements and reformulation were suggested and accepted
by the body on the first or the introductory part of the declaration.
To the statement: Recognizing the urgent need for reforms in the
Philippine electoral process, some suggestions for addition to the
statement were raised, i.e. recognition of initiatives done to address
such problems; initiatives done in the past as well as initiatives
of state reformists; notwithstanding the past and current initiatives
being done. Meanwhile, the mention of constitutional mandate for
electoral reforms was fine-tuned to read constitutional mandate
to democratize access to political power, as suggested by Atty.
Gascon of NIPS. Mr. Gerry Bulatao of ECPG held that the part on
“governance reforms as underscored by EDSA II” might
be modified to include EDSA I. The body agreed to the motions.
The legislative agenda enumerated seven headings, of which, items
(1) on absentee voting law, (4) on enabling law for local sectoral
representation and (7) on voters’ education were readily accepted
at the plenary. It was, however, proposed that item (2) be labeled
with a title or sub-title to be consistent with the other items.
The body concurred with Atty. Gascon’s proposal to identify
item (2) as laws to strengthen Philippine party system. This portion
will then include the following concerns: developing of state financing;
aspect of campaign expenditure; law banning political turncoatism;
and campaign; the “tripod”- campaign finance, civic
literacy, and political party law which would define roles and functions
of political parties. As such, item (6) on anti-political turncoatism
will be deleted as a heading and to be included in item (2). The
explanatory note on ban on political dynasties was submitted for
a reformulation, while the portion on party-list amendments was
moved to include both proportional and sectoral representation.
These two motions were approved by the body.
Discussion of the action agenda proved to be the most contentious.
In response to the first two statements under the heading on modernization,
PPCRV representatives held that modernization of registration should
not be deferred. However, Mr. Casiple noted that such deferment
was agreed upon in the context of the current registration modernization
plan, and to give way to modernization of counting and canvassing
given the expected budget for the implementation and in time for
the 2004 elections. Mention of the VRIS was suggested to be removed
from the declaration.
In the proposal to establish a central management unit for the
implementation of the modernization plan, Mr. Lara mentioned the
existence of a technical body and asked if such was considered in
the above proposal as well as about the relation of the scope and
functions of the current technical committee to the proposed management
unit. From records of the workshop group, the idea was for the proposed
“unit” to carry out the task of the Comelec MIS and
more so calling it MIS can be very limiting.
It was maintained that the job of overseeing implementation should
be a collegial decision and action of the Comelec. A compromise
was then reached in that the Comelec should upgrade the organizational
capability for effective implementation of the modernization plan.
On the same concern, Mr. Lara suggested amendment in relation to
RA 8189 and its implementation. He also called for the legislative
oversight committee in the implementation of 8189. Such were accepted.
Mr. Lara suggested stressing accreditation aspect as citizens’
arm to give more authority to and broaden the participation
of civil society groups in undertaking education/info campaign.
His proposal was lodged in the effort to urge the Comelec to recognize
and work for the accreditation process. Mr. Casiple then opened
a motion whether to seek accreditation, and added that cooperation
is not necessarily accreditation. If such motion be carried out,
groups would have to undergo the accreditation process. However,
Mr. Bulatao maintained that the process would require that groups
have a legal personality and instead suggested that cooperation
may be done with the groups who already have accreditation. Mr.
Ventosa of PPCRV indicated that a MOA should be enough to encourage
cooperation. Finally, it was suggested that maybe the declaration
could be left at that because some groups might not want to undergo
accreditation process.
It was suggested that the second heading on voter education be
changed to civic education/literacy, the mention of government institutions
be given particular note on the role of Department of Education,
and include popularization of concepts other than the party law
and public funding.
The third item on structural reforms was proposed to be deleted
under the action agenda and be placed under the legislative agenda
instead. The concept of structural reforms is important but details
of such are those, which require legislation. The portion on election
administration could be incorporated in Omnibus Election Code amendments
or under a Comelec Reforms Law. Given the independence of the Comelec
as a constitutional body, a proposal to place the structural reforms
under the context of constitutional change or electoral reform bills
was then adopted.
Under the portion on multi-sectoral citizen alliance on electoral
reforms and non-partisan electoral monitoring, Atty. Gascon suggested
that the item deal with alliance on electoral reforms only and leave
electoral monitoring to the groups already accredited for monitoring.
Atty. Gascon also pointed out that the item on researches on the
Philippine electoral system and processes is actually an activity
under alliance building and thus suggested to move this portion
under (4) multi-sectoral alliance on electoral reforms.
An entirely new heading, as drafted by Atty. Gascon, “Building
broad consensus regarding constitutional reform” under the
action agenda was submitted for approval. This portion, calls for
a review of the Philippine Constitution to identify infirmities
and thus determine imperative to change the charter or not. But
such should submit to the following conditions: a participatory
and consultative process to build consensus on the substance and
process of reform; reject any substantive changes to be introduced
under a constituent assembly; and that change will not prejudice
the holding of the 2004elections.
The approved changes resulted in a 5-point action agenda: (1) modernization;
(2) civic literacy/education; (3) building consensus regarding constitutional
reforms; (4) multi-sectoral alliance on electoral reforms; and (5)
sustaining summit initiatives.
(See the full copy of
the Declaration)
Mr. Casiple continued to discuss the last heading in the agenda
to include the following proposed activities: holding of an annual
electoral reform summit to monitor and update the resolutions and
initiatives; a summit website as a forum for exchange of ideas/information
and cooperation of the convenors and the participants; and a common
journal as another venue for ideas and cooperation.
Further, Mr. Panaguiton of PPCRV suggested that for the convenors
and summit participants should meet at least once every three months
for a continuous follow-up of the initiatives and activities. In
the same light, Mr. Lara brought up that the current executive committee/convenors
be maintained as the body that would oversee the carrying out and
sustaining of initiatives. Mr. Casiple assured the body that the
proposals raised in the discussion and in the workshops will be
incorporated in the final draft of the declaration.
The Summit came to a close with the Chief of Staff of Speaker
Jose de Venecia extending the message from the Speaker’s office.
During the closing program, Chief of Staff Artemio Adasa, addressed
the body and read the Speaker’s closing speech. Speaker De
Venecia congratulated the convenors and participants for holding
the summit and for having and communicating the vision to advocate
and effect reforms in our society. In the same line however, he
maintained that the nation’s transformation cannot and will
not come about if the leaders of the society will just stand and
do nothing. Thus he also recognized the imperative for urgent and
determined action.
The speaker, in his speech, took note of the following, which
are some of the electoral reforms lined up in his agenda: campaign
finance reform via a bill on such concern; automation of counting
of votes; and his support for local sectoral representation. He
even went further to present his position favoring constitutional
change and calling for elections of constitutional convention delegates
who will tailor the changes.
(See Annex 21
for a full copy of Speaker de Venecia’s closing speech)
