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[$ i rnunsonv FEBRUARY 28, 2o1e

mst.daydesk@ gmail.com

Unallied Congress need€d- BinaY

side the Executive and the Judiciary. Yet in prac-
ByJoel E. Zurbano tice, any newly elected President would always
move to secure cnntrol ofQongress, particularly
1/^l 'on
ONGRESSIONAL aspirant and former Vice President Jejomar Binay tlre House of Represen'arive!;l Qinay stated.
f Wednesday unders-ored the need for an independent Congress with He pointEd out how it has become a "political
\-/legislators who can articulate the urgent concems of their constituents, dtual" that in drc fi$t months ofa new administra-
tion, most legislalors wouid abandon their previ-
and engage in debates on national issues.
ous pafiies tojoin the party ofthe new Pr€sident.
"Membe$ of Congress are elected by the emment, and experts on economic matters, He said the system of checks and balances
people primarily to anact national laws. These govemance and other national issues faced by was abandoned in exchange for total loyalty t)
are laws that will provide the basis and ratio- the nation at present," said Binay. whoever occupied the seat ofpower.
nale for executive programs addressing the The former Makati mayor said Lhat as a Rep- "Our institutions, most especially the legisla-
people's urgent needs," Binay said. resentative, one must be cafrbletfEngaging in ture, should never be a pafy to plots to prolong
"lt is therefore imperative that the elect- debate, and prepared to stand up and Fght for one group's or one person's stay in Power at
ed representatives to Congress can articu- the welfare ofhis constituents and ofthe entire the expense of democracy and our Constitu-
late the sentiments of the people they rep- nation. tion. Congress should be an institution to build
resent-" he added. 'The process oflaivrnaking is serious business a country and achieve a vision, not a tool to uir-
Binay is the leading candidate in the May 13 that should not b€ left to the lmFEiared unprin- dermine dbmocracy," Binay stressed.
'
midterm elections lo reFesent the fl$t district cipled and inarticulate," he stressed The former vice president also said too much
ofMakati City in the House ofRepresentatives. The UNA congressional bet decried efforts partisansbip had left no room for sober discus-
He is running under the United Nationalist to amend the Constitr-rtion and extend the con- sion on important issues, noting it was time for
Alliance party ticket ofhis daughter incumbent trol of the dxecutive department over other Congress to regain its role as flscalizer
Makati Mayor Abigal Binay. branches of govemme4 which have thrcat- "I do not mean an obsfuctionist Congress, or
"He or she must be ready to propose laws, ened the independence ofthese institutions. legislaton that oppose for the sake ofopposing.
and !o face and engage in debate [with] his fel- ' Congrcss, in partic'ular, should be an indepen- What times demand is a constructive legisla-
low lawmakers, ofrcials of the national gov- dent and co-equal branch ofgoverffnent, along- ture and constructive legislators," he said.

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