NEW BODIES IN PARLIAMENT AND STATE ASSEMBLIES
COMMISSIONS – These new Commissions are proposed by Araneta to ensure the checks on Government Bodies with the very novel idea of giving the opposition a bigger role in the implementation of the Commissions’ duties.
THE AUDITING COMMISSION is tasked to audit all accounts of Parliament and all income and expenditures of the Federal Government and its instrumentalities.
THE FINANCE COMMISSION in the Parliament and the State Assemblies will have members, the majority of whom will come from the opposition and they will have functions likened to those of an external auditor in a private corporation.
THE BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION will have a Chairman and two thirds of its members will also come from the opposition. They are vested with prosecuting power to initiate criminal, civil and administrative and impeachment proceedings against any guilty party as a result of their respective investigations.
DEMOCRATIZATION OF WEALTH
Araneta believed that the State should promote the democratization of wealth. This shall be attained in a system of ownership by practically all families of income-producing assets, made possible by promoting people’s savings with grants-in-aid and liberal credit policies. All the taxes collected under Article 11 of the Bayanikasan Constitution shall be used to fund projects for the democratization of wealth.
Should there be a shift to Federalism, Araneta recommended the division of the country into five States: Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas, Muslim Mindanao and Christian Mindanao.
The States will be divided into districts. Each district shall be entitled to four representatives for every two million voters. Any district without two million voters may link up with an adjoining district to form a single constituency with four or six representatives in Parliament.
THE REPUBLIC UNDER THE BAYANIKASAN CONSTITUTION
Our National Territory: In the 1936 Constitutional Convention, the delegates’ paramount concern was the preservation of the integrity of the Philippine territory. Their steadfast declaration was: “We can neither enlarge nor diminish our territory.” (See Article 9. a. Bayanikasan Constitution.)
Article 2: The state shall promote the democratization of wealth, of power and of man. The democratization of wealth shall be attained in a system of ownership by practically all families of income producing assets, made possible by promoting people’s savings with grants-in-aid and liberal credit policies.
The democratization of power shall be attained in a political system, based on participatory democracy, composed of five states under a federal government, applying the principles of subsidiarity, intermediate bodies and collective leadership.
The democratization of man himself shall be attained in a compassionate society based on Bayanikasan human values.
Article 5: The Federal Republic of the Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy, adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land, and adheres to the policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom, cooperation and amity with all nations.
Article 7: The State shall promote the establishment of organizations as living forces of the country within the local and national levels that will promote the national welfare, safeguard the dignity of the human person, ensure freedom and preserve a sense of responsibility.
Article 12: The Federal Government shall have a share of 20 percent of all State taxes collected by it under Article11. The State shall have a share of 30 percent of all Federal taxes collected in the respective States.
The Federal Government may apportion specific funds for the benefit of a particular State to be spent by it for a specified project in the State, or by a direct grant to a State.
Article 22: In case of invasion, insurrection, or rebellion, when public safety requires it, a majority of the members of the Troika may temporarily suspend the privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus or impose Martial Law when the crises affect the entire Philippines. The action will require the approval of the Troika of the Federal Government. When the action affects the territory of a State, the temporary action shall be adopted by the majority of the Troika of the affected State. The Legislative Power shall be convened as soon as possible to pass upon the action of the Troika.
Article 59: There shall be a Tribune of the People in the Federal Government and in each level of Government. An Act of Parliament shall prescribe the number of members in the Federal level.
The chairman of the Federal Tribune of the People shall belong to the largest opposition party as may be defined by an Act of Parliament while the other members shall be representatives of the living forces of the country as may be defined by law.
They shall receive their compensation as well as all other expenses of their respective secretariats from the organizations they represent. The office and the Secretariat of the Tribune itself shall be borne by the respective level of Government.
Article 82: Universal Education of the children and the youth, in line with the capacity of the individual in the elementary level, shall be the responsibility of the Federal Government; Universal education in the secondary level shall be the responsibility of the State Government.
Education in the college and university levels is under the Ministry of National Identity, Culture and Education and the Authority of the same name, both under the jurisdiction of the President.
The Federal Authority of National Identity, Culture and Education shall determine the average cost of education per student in the elementary grades, and the State Authority of Education and Culture shall determine the average cost of education per student in the secondary level. The amount determined, multiplied by the number of students enrolled in the school, shall be paid to the Parent-Teachers Association of each public school.
In the private sector, the schools shall also receive the same amount multiplied by the number of students enrolled in their respective schools.
Article 86: This Constitution may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of all the members of Parliament, subject to ratification by the people in the succeeding general election for members of Parliament.
It may also be amended by a vote of at least 60 percent of all the members of Parliament, provided the amendments are ratified by 60 percent of all the members of Parliament succeeding the next general election. (To be continued/PN)
