Consultative Politics

Consultative politics is making a wave among some political aspirants. While this is so, the need for consultative and participatory politics is becoming clearer as a right among the populace earlier made pronounced by the need for sectoral representatives party list groups in Congress. What is traditional politics is now fading down the drain with perceptions and actualizations of better systems and better approaches of governance getting clearer.

Congressional aspirant for Baguio City lawyer Jose Molintas said governance should not be confined to people whom we elect and democracy should not end after elections. It should be participatory and continuing.

A new system of approach to our common problems and at the same time remove corruption is what is needed, the incumbent city councilor said. An anticipatory government shall not only be focus on day to day problems but also prepare for the future. When we get everyone to discuss, we believe that we are more prepared for the future, the aspiring congressional candidate heading the Koalisyon Kontra sa Korupsyon said.

The human rights lawyer said conduct of a regular if not weekly fora among sectoral representatives of Working Groups among the residents of Baguio is needed to be in place. Such group should have the mandate to receive and discuss reports and make recommendations to the City Council and the Congressman to act upon.

With respect to corruption, congressional aspirant for Baguio City lawyer Mauricio Domogan said systems are already in place to curb corruption so the question should not only be thrown to those in government but also to those in the private sector. You might not know as the private sector could also be the source of corruption, he said.

The incumbent solon added “Possibly we can adapt other systems that can improve the situation but it all depends on who are running the affairs of government. We need to educate the private sector that they can get what they want even without doing something illegal.”
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In Mountain Province, aspiring congressman and incumbent mayor of Sabangan town Jupiter Dominguez has a down to earth way of looking at participatory politics. He said consultative systems and knowing what your constituents’ problems and demands are age-old systems which need revitalization. “The peoples’ concerns can be determined by being with them, talking to them naturally in conversational and informal chats, and turning the issues which they present in formal systems. Consultative systems need to be revitalized as this system had not been felt by the populace of the greater Mt. Province in the previous years in national legislation,” Jupiter said.

Volunteer support networks can be formed in the barangays and municipalities to complement elected officials in government articulate their demands and bring these to municipal and provincial development councils and legislative units, the aspiring congressman elaborated.
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In the same line, aspiring governor for Mt Province Bonifacio Lacwasan is forwarding his Barangay Muna platform of government. The incumbent chairman of the Association of Barangay Chairmen and currently a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Mt Province lamented his resolution forwarded to the provincial legislative body in March 2006 calling for a yearly subsidy of P100,000 from the 20% development funds of the Province per barangay, faced difficulty of reaching 3rd reading despite unanimous endorsement from barangay captains of the province