Presidential aspirant Norberto Gonzales on Tuesday revealed that he wants a change in the country's political system if elected as president in the May elections.
"Kaya ako simula pa lang, 'yung bahagi ng systemic change, sisimulan na natin sa pamamagitan ng pag-iintroduce ng posibilidad na baguhin na natin ang ating Konstitusyon," Gonzales said during the Bakit Ikaw: The Presidential Job Interview.
(What I will do from the start, as part of systemic change, we will start introducing the possibility of changing our Constitution.)
According to Gonzales, introducing the possibility at the earliest possible time will alleviate the mistrust of the public over charter change.
"Napapansin ko noon nung panahon namin na 'yung charter change hindi matuloy-tuloy, kasi pinagduduhan na 'yung mga presidente na gustong baguhin yung charter natin, duda ng mga tao natin, gusto lang palawakin yung pag-stay nila sa gobyerno," said Gonzales, who was the former defense secretary under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
(I noticed that during our time charter change cannot be pushed through because presidents who wanted to change the charter were doubted. Filipinos were doubtful, they think they just want to extend their stay in the government.)
As an example of his planned changes in the Constitution, Gonzales recalled a past memorandum that he presented to former President Arroyo, where he said that the government could strengthen the autonomy given to regions by building upon the Regional Development Council established by former president Fidel Ramos.
He also said that a Parliamentary system could be possible if he looked at past proposals.
"Pwede rin nating tignan, pwede ba tayong mag-parliamentary system? 'Yun ay tinitignan din natin sa ating mga proposal," he said. "Kasi ang ibig ko lang sabihin diyan, kung kunwari sa autonomous region, maifo-focus natin ang pagtingin ng mga problema dun sa mga component regions already."
(We can also look into a parliamentary system. We will look at that in our proposals. Because what I mean is, for example in autonomous regions, we can focus further on looking at the problems from component regions.)
"Ngayon 'yung sa central government, pwede rin nating pag-usapan ang parliamentary system," he added.
(Now for the central government, we can also discuss the parliamentary system.)
Gonzales made the remarks after he said politicians are the ones preventing the progress of the country, adding that Filipinos should be given an alternative by introducing changes not only in politicians but also in the political system.
