Press Release
June 7, 2010

AFTER POLLS, ANGARA SEEKS RULING BODY FOR POLITICAL PARTIES

Just after the May 2010 elections, Sen. Edgardo J. Angara is calling for a legal body to govern political parties and their activities, members and funding.

"We have seen issues between feuding members within and among political parties. Now that the elections are over and we are ready for a new government, it is also time to move on and put in place, as preparation for future elections, a better political party system that is governed with stable mandates," he said.

Angara has proposed the Political Party Development Act that mandates members wanting to change party affiliation after being elected under their party's ticket to first resign from their elective position and seek a fresh mandate from the electorate. Likewise, defecting persons cannot be appointed nor hold any position in any public office until after their current elected office expires.

Angara stressed that "a strong political party system is imperative for it to develop and achieve genuine political development and democratization rather than simply feeding politicized motives. We have to enact laws to prevent the system of ward politics and political chameleons that we have today."

Political parties are known to be used only as vehicles to win elections. Most political aspirants change parties for convenience rather than conviction manifesting the lack of ideological commitment to their parties. Angara is concerned that candidates' "abrupt secession from their parties may pose detrimental effects on the party itself and its goals for and after the elections, spurring division and deflecting a solid vote turnout rather than forming a unified coalition."

The bill also seeks to create a Party Development Fund to subsidize national political parties for their operational expenses and party building activities; not only for electoral campaign but also for their developmental programs. It encourages raising funds through Party Foundation to develop self-sufficiency and lessen their dependence on contributions from illegal sources.

"The country's party system is confined to personalities rather than issues and platforms. There had been many attempts to reform this orientation to veer away from traditional politics, but they failed because of the lack a governing system," noted Angara, former Senate President.

Angara is hopeful that "this bill will change the norm of having political butterflies and to emphasize party ideals and policy agenda rather than political pragmatism and survival."

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