House pushes presidential snap polls
Amid the crisis facing the nation which, day in and day out, seems to be further dragging the country into the black hole of chaos and confusion, the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms yesterday approved House Bill (HB) 3589 which would pave the way for the holding of snap presidential elections, that according to its principal author, Rep. Edno Joson, would bring back order on the country’s political scenery.
The bill, however, provides that President Arroyo can run again for the same seat.
Joson said he sought the holding of snap presidential elections as the country has remained divided since 2004 on the issue of the legitimacy of Mrs. Arroyo’s victory over the late actor and opposition standard bearer, Fernando Poe Jr. in that year’s hotly contested elections.
No one among the less than a dozen congressmen present during yesterday’s congressional hearings objected when committee chairman, Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. moved for the bill’s approval.
Originally proposing to schedule the proposed snap elections on May 2008, HB 3589 provided to target date for the snap presidential polls.
Stressing that snap elections will solve the current political, rice and peace and order crises that have hit the country, Joson said the schedule of elections will be set by congressmen during the plenary debates and period of amendments.
“Definitely, it should be held one year before the 2010 elections,” Joson said.
While expressing delight over the bill breezing through committee deliberations, Joson admitted he is not expecting the measure to be approved on third and final reading by the pro-Arroyo congressional chamber.
“This bill doesn’t stand a Chinaman’s chance of becoming a law. However, I am still hopeful it might gain momentum,” Joson said.
Apparently, moved by the sudden turn of events during the committee deliberations, Joson said he can no longer remember who among his colleagues moved for approval.
“But I think it was Rep. Locsin. He was really for its approval,” Joson added.
The Nueva Ecija lawmaker filed HB 3589 at the height of the political controversy stirred by the controversial $329 billion National Broadband Network project some three months ago.
Joson said after the political crisis triggered by the NBN controversy, the nation is still controversy, the nation is still confronted with the rice and peace and order crises.
He explained that the snap elections bill is anchored on the provisions of Batas Pambansa 883 which was the basis for the conduct of presidential elections that pitted then President Ferdinand Marcos against his successor, President Corazon Aquino in 1985.
In his proposal, Joson said Mrs. Arroyo may still run against any opponent who wishes to challenge her.
“The snap elections will determine whether or not President Arroyo still enjoys the trust and confidence of Filipinos,” said Joson.
In a letter sent to Malacañang on Feb. 20, Joson urged the President to consider the necessity of asking Congress to immediately act on House Bill No.3589 in order to peacefully settle the issues confronting her administration.
Joson said the holding of a snap election is also expected to prevent further political instability triggered by controversy behind the allegedly overpriced $329 million NBN program.
While Senate hearings on the ZTE NBN deal have been suspended, pending the emergence of a new witness, said to be former Speaker Jose de Venecia, who yesterday said he is willing to testify on the NBN deal and the Shenzen golf luncheon meeting with ZTE officials last Nov. 2, 2006, pointing out that the rules were suddenly changed from a Build Operate and Transfer project to an awarding of the deal to supplier ZTE, thus making this the “turning point” De Venecia also gave no date for him to testify before the Senate, and the hearings continue to hang.
But Joson pushed the special polls on the ZTE NBN issue, saying “In view of the escalating tension brought about by the ZTE investigations and to avert moves by unscrupulous elements to grab power, through extralegal means, this representation has proposed the electoral process as a measure to determine the sovereign will of the Filipino people.”
Amid the crisis facing the nation which, day in and day out, seems to be further dragging the country into the black hole of chaos and confusion, the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms yesterday approved House Bill (HB) 3589 which would pave the way for the holding of snap presidential elections, that according to its principal author, Rep. Edno Joson, would bring back order on the country’s political scenery.The bill, however, provides that President Arroyo can run again for the same seat.
Joson said he sought the holding of snap presidential elections as the country has remained divided since 2004 on the issue of the legitimacy of Mrs. Arroyo’s victory over the late actor and opposition standard bearer, Fernando Poe Jr. in that year’s hotly contested elections.
No one among the less than a dozen congressmen present during yesterday’s congressional hearings objected when committee chairman, Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. moved for the bill’s approval.
Originally proposing to schedule the proposed snap elections on May 2008, HB 3589 provided to target date for the snap presidential polls.
Stressing that snap elections will solve the current political, rice and peace and order crises that have hit the country, Joson said the schedule of elections will be set by congressmen during the plenary debates and period of amendments.
“Definitely, it should be held one year before the 2010 elections,” Joson said.
While expressing delight over the bill breezing through committee deliberations, Joson admitted he is not expecting the measure to be approved on third and final reading by the pro-Arroyo congressional chamber.
“This bill doesn’t stand a Chinaman’s chance of becoming a law. However, I am still hopeful it might gain momentum,” Joson said.
Apparently, moved by the sudden turn of events during the committee deliberations, Joson said he can no longer remember who among his colleagues moved for approval.
“But I think it was Rep. Locsin. He was really for its approval,” Joson added.
The Nueva Ecija lawmaker filed HB 3589 at the height of the political controversy stirred by the controversial $329 billion National Broadband Network project some three months ago.
Joson said after the political crisis triggered by the NBN controversy, the nation is still controversy, the nation is still confronted with the rice and peace and order crises.
He explained that the snap elections bill is anchored on the provisions of Batas Pambansa 883 which was the basis for the conduct of presidential elections that pitted then President Ferdinand Marcos against his successor, President Corazon Aquino in 1985.
In his proposal, Joson said Mrs. Arroyo may still run against any opponent who wishes to challenge her.
“The snap elections will determine whether or not President Arroyo still enjoys the trust and confidence of Filipinos,” said Joson.
In a letter sent to Malacañang on Feb. 20, Joson urged the President to consider the necessity of asking Congress to immediately act on House Bill No.3589 in order to peacefully settle the issues confronting her administration.
Joson said the holding of a snap election is also expected to prevent further political instability triggered by controversy behind the allegedly overpriced $329 million NBN program.
While Senate hearings on the ZTE NBN deal have been suspended, pending the emergence of a new witness, said to be former Speaker Jose de Venecia, who yesterday said he is willing to testify on the NBN deal and the Shenzen golf luncheon meeting with ZTE officials last Nov. 2, 2006, pointing out that the rules were suddenly changed from a Build Operate and Transfer project to an awarding of the deal to supplier ZTE, thus making this the “turning point” De Venecia also gave no date for him to testify before the Senate, and the hearings continue to hang.
But Joson pushed the special polls on the ZTE NBN issue, saying “In view of the escalating tension brought about by the ZTE investigations and to avert moves by unscrupulous elements to grab power, through extralegal means, this representation has proposed the electoral process as a measure to determine the sovereign will of the Filipino people.”
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