Congress: an analysis

Title

Creator

Roces, Alfredo R.

Language

English

Year

1966

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

Our privileged citizens — the Senators and representatives.

Fulltext

■ Our privileged citizens — the Senators and repre sentatives. CONGRESS: AN ANALYSIS The sad story of the na tion’s political, and conse quently social and economic evolution is laid bare in un expurgated form in the legis lature. After all, here in deed are the representa tives of the people. If the public has become the vic tim of oppressive legislation it is because the citizenry has not cast a discerning eye on the legislature. By this we mean an intelligent scru tiny of the Upper and Lower House, the temperament and character of the two bodies, the quality and motivation of legislation, and the shape and moral integrity of this branch of government. For one thing it is apparent that in the Senate a large num ber are multi-millionaires; no crime in itself we hasten to add, but this is indicative of the relation between wealth and office. For an other it becomes quite ob vious that while legislation has been presumably for the whole nation without discri mination, there has been ex tensive and clear discrimina tory shadings in. the amend ments and final shape of bills passed. Moreover, the legislators have generally fallen into a privileged class, usually exempted from the effects of the law in ques tion, as in the casecfor exam ple of persons who run for public office having to give up the current post, which does not apply to congress men and senators. « • • The more one *looks into various problems of the na tion, the more one finds himself looking at the legis lature. Here, much more than the executive and the judiciary, pulses the root cause of much of our na tional problems; Legislators are the first not to respect the law so that they either exempt themselves, ignore the law, or amend and cir cumvent it. The bureau cracy in the government is overloaded and inefficient 2 Panorama largely because of the legis lators. Senators are not above fighting with cabinet men over filling up a posi tion for janitor. Legislators have been involved in much of the graft and corruption, from reparations to smug gling. • * • This is not a brief against Congressmen and Senators We wish to point out the need for an academic, nonpunitive, objective analysis of the legislature, with a view towards assessing the present situation and possi ble directions. To our mind, it is the legislature that is bringing about the rise of a two class society, with the politicians as a ruling class. The quality of legislation is in dire need of study too, because not only are bills be ing smuggled and towns cut up and created, not only are franchises, land, and conces sions treated like spoils to be apportioned, but the char acter and spirit of legislation all betray a "citizens be dam ned" attitude. Thus we citi zens have to fill-up census forms which can be used to harass us, all in the name of catching tax evaders, when we all know who the biggest evaders are. Thus also, we have to buy an extra stamp during anti-TB months while the legislators enjoy a frank ing privilege. Our democra cy is being reshaped in the legislature. Since national political leadership, (including the president) emerges, from the legislature, we should stop, look, and think about the shape and character of the legislature. — By Alfredo R. Roces in Manila Times. February 1966 3

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