OVER the past few months, we have been witnessing a political circus.
One of the most intriguing and unnecessary features is the idea of voluntary substitution.
Therefore, aside from the Oct 1 – 8 schedule for filing Certificates of Candidacy, there is a period until Nov 15 during which a candidate of a political party may voluntarily withdraw and be substituted by another member and nominee of the same party.
The deadline for filing and voluntary substitution is dictated by the time needed to prepare for the May elections, specifically the preparation and printing of about 70 million ballots with the names of all the qualified candidates from president down to municipal councilors.
Before the automation of elections, there were separate deadlines for national and local (including representatives) candidates.
These were a few weeks before the respective ninety day and forty - five day, campaign periods.
We could afford a later deadline then because the ballots did not contain the names of the candidates.
The political parties and their chosen candidates should have prepared much earlier for their campaigns as well as the six or three - year terms of office that victory will entail. Therefore, there is no reason why, an extra five weeks for substitution is needed.
Since the 1987 Constitution mandated the multi - party system, our political parties have become a joke.
The idea of having political parties is so that members and candidates can band together based on principles and programs of government.
Therefore, switching from one party to another should be based on changes in one’s program of government.
Party nomination should be based on conventions at different levels or even primaries.
Party switching should be prohibited after an aspirant has already lost within his party. This is what former President Fidel V. Ramos did in 1991.
After he resigned as the Secretary of National Defense in mid - 1991, Ramos joined the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP).
The LDP was organized by Cory’s brother, Cong. Jose G. Cojuangco, Jr. and Speaker Ramon V. Mitra after the May 1987 national elections.
From 1987 until mid - 1992, it was the biggest political party as far as membership of Senators, Congressmen and LGU officials was concerned.
Before Martial Law, they were in the opposition Liberal Party. Then in 1978, they joined Ninoy Aquino’s Laban for the April 1978 elections for the Interim Batasang Pambansa.
The LP, under the leadership of Senators Gerry Roxas and Jovito Salonga decided to boycott the elections. In 1982 Laban merged with the newly organized Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP).
In preparation for the May 1992 presidential elections, the LDP held a series of regional conventions.
After Mitra won overall, Ramos resigned from the LDP and formed a new party, the Lakas – NUCD – UMDP.
With Cory’s endorsement, Ramos narrowly won the presidency over a field of seven major candidates.
However, he won by a plurality of less than 25 %. Our five presidents under the 1987 Constitution have become presidents by mere plurality. The same will be true for our next president.
In some countries, there are what are called ‘run – off’ elections. When there are more than two candidates and none of them gets the required percentage of votes, a second election is held with just the top two candidates of the first election are listed.
The winner then will have a majority of the votes cast.
The shift from the presidential and two - party system under the 1935 Constitution to a multiparty but not parliamentary system of government under the 1987 Constitution is what caused the proliferation and bastardization of parties.
Last week, all the five major presidential candidates changed their political status just before their filings of and or announcements of their candidacies.
Recently, Lacson joined the Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma.
Previously, he had run for senator as LDP in 2001, genuine opposition in 2007 and independent in 2016.
Moreno resigned from the National Unity Party (NUP) and joined Aksyon Demokratiko.
Pacquiao abandoned their intra party dispute in PDP Laban and filed as Progressive Movement for the Devolution of Initiatives (PROMDI).
Marcos resigned as Nacionalista Party (NP) and joined Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP).
Robredo, the Liberal Party Chairman, filed as an independent and changed her color from yellow to pink.
The problem is that the previous manual elections have been replaced by automated elections.
What propped up the two - party system was the need for a nationwide army of precinct inspectors.
Also, before the computer printout and the copying machine, copies were generated by carbon paper.
Therefore, only two political parties were given copies of the election returns and the statement of votes and certificates of canvass. Thus, other political parties were disadvantaged.