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What would a Duterte-anointed Speaker mean?
ENT RODRIGO Roa
Duterte's move to recommend
hie preferred Speaker of the
House of Representatives may
put the indepeqdence of the 18'h
Congress further at risk, alalysts
said in separate interviews late
lastweek.
It was also raised that while a
supermajority in the House and
Senate could translate to a stron-
ger push for the President's prior-
ity bills, it could also threaten the
quality of legislative measures
that v/ill make it out of both
chambers.
"I think a President openly and
enthusiastically making an en-
dorsement for Speaker of the HoR
undermines tlle principle of sepa-
ration ofpowers," law)€r and senior
research fellow Michael Henry Ll.
Yusingco of tlrcAteneo PtiliryCen-
ter said in ar email on June 20.
"In tlre case ofa supermajority
in both houses of the lSth Con-
gress, kee{ing the executive ac-
countable will most likely be a
rare occurrence."
Mr. Duterte announced on
Tuesday last week ttrat he will
name his bet for the House lead-
ership on June 28, following his
state visit in Thailand for the 34th
Association bf Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAlg Summit.
Among those interested for
the Spealership are Marinduque
Rep, Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco,
congressmen-elect Alan Peter
. S. Cayetano of Taguig City-l"t
district, Pantaleon D. Alvarez of
Davao del Norte-l"t distdct, and
i
u
fage
Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez
of Leyte-l"t district.
"Our political leaders today
have allorMed patronage politics
to override constitutional con-
ventions such as separation of
powers. Consequently, we very
seldom see the application of the
principle of checks and balances
an).nore between the executive
and legislative branches of gov-
ernment " Mr. Yusingco also said.
As practiced by the Philippine
Iegislature, the President's en-
dorsement for the leader of the
House is an expected develoP-
- /t>/st o
ment, which University of the
Philippines (UP) political science
professol Maria Ela L..Atienza
noted in this case "may be based
on personal loyalty and trust but
not necessarily the most well-
suited as Speater ofthe House."
Ms. Atieirza added the "prin-
ciple of separation of powers is
lost " given the personality-based
politics in the country and the
weak political party system,
which enables turncoatism.
"The President and his allies
will likely choose a loyal Speaker
who will protect the Presidentt
interests. HorMeve!, rnany politi'
cians are alsoverypractical lncase
they feel tllat the President is nc
longer very popular, they can alsc
switch loya.lties to protect tleir in'
terests. It is thus worth-watchin!
if the President can maintain hir
popularity in the second half of hil
terlD" Ms. Atienza said in an e-mail
on Thursday.