Press statement of Senator M. A. Madrigal

The Commission on Appointments was never intended to be a rubber stamp. It exists because Congress has the duty to weigh executive appointments on the scale of the common good.

Our Constitution established the Commission on Appointments. And it empowers the members of the Commission on Appointments to serve as a check and balance on whimsical, impractical, scandalous, or unworthy executive appointments, designations, and promotions.

This Constitutional mandate, however, requires Congress to constitute the CA in an equitable manner; a representative institution, it must provide for fair representation in the CA of the parties to which our legislators belong.

The present membership of the Commission on Appointments has to be reorganized pursuant to the strict requirement of Section 18, Article VI of the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court in the case of Guingona vs. Gonzales (G.R. No. 106971, Oct. 20, 1992).

Sadly, however, and instead of responding squarely to this pressing need, one I have raised repeatedly, the majority in the Commission insists on evading it. The Senate President, who sits as ex-officio Chairman of the CA, has declined to address this need. His unfortunate unwillingness to advocate a much-needed reform in the old boy's club style of constituting the CA smacks of the worst kind of traditional and patronage politics.

If the Commission cannot reform itself, it has lost its relevance. If it insists on being not only a rubber stamp, but a political eunuch, it should just be abolished and its funds used for public services.

The CA spends P292 Million a year. This amount:

* Can feed 5.8 Million Filipino Families of (2) kilos of rice in (1) day.

* 1,500 classrooms can be built for public schools nationwide at an average cost of P200, 000/classroom.

* 17,200 students can be sent to a private school at an average tuition fee of P17, 000/ year.

* For public schools 97,000 students can be allotted P3,000 each for books and uniforms for (1) year use.

Mas mainam pang ibigay na lang sa taong bayan ang pera na ginagastos ng CA, ang inutil at skandalosong samahan ng mga KKK: kumukurakot, kumikita, at kumakaltas sa kaban ng bayan.