BPP strongly believes that for righteousness to prevail in and bless the land, righteousness must begin in and with government itself. People must desire and expect righteousness in government. The first battle order of the new administration, therefore, is to frontally attack and dismantle the apparatus of corruption in government and in the system.
BP will attack corruption through the following:
Before assumption of power:
By an honest, volunteer-driven campaign that will not engage in vote-buying, coercion, and other dishonest, ungodly and traditional ways of getting votes, so that the BP administration will not engage in corruption to recover campaign expenses.
Upon assumption of power:
A. By a clear, comprehensive and committed executive agenda, which shall include:
1. First, through leadership by example. BPP will not engage in and tolerate corruption. BPP commits that all these will begin with the President himself, and down to the entire slate.
2. By doing away with the rule of “Executive Privilege”, so that cabinet secretaries and other officers of the Executive Branch of the Government can testify in any legislative inquiry or investigation, subject only to the rule of mutual courtesy and respect between co-equal branches of the government, and subject to universally and well-recognized exceptions such as inquiries involving national security, where the same can be conducted by the proper committee of the legislature in “executive fashion.”
3. By request from the Chief Executive, certified as urgent to Congress, for the passage of legislation that will restore the death penalty according to the tenets of the Constitution, specifying that Congress define plunder and syndicated warlordism, among others, as heinous crimes, to signify BPP’s dead serious intent to clean the house of government itself.
4. By request from the Chief Executive, certified as urgent to Congress, for the elevation of wages and compensation for government employees as an incentive against corruption.
5. By request from the Chief Executive, certified as urgent to Congress, for passage of a law that would immediately address the problem of ECONOMIC INJUSTICE to the countryside, and calling for a system that would ensure that what is for Mindanao goes to Mindanao, what is for Visayas goes to Visayas, what is for Luzon goes to Luzon, and what is for Metro Manila goes to Metro Manila, either by:
5.a. Calling for a Constitutional Convention that would consider the possibility of adopting the FEDERAL FORM of government under a PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM with the idea of dividing the Philippines for economic administration into Luzon, Metro Manila (NCR), Visayas and Mindanao; if adopted and ratified by the people, FEDERALISM WILL ABOLISH THE PRESENT PORK BARREL SYSTEM with the funds pertaining to a regional state already going to it without passing through the national budget where it might be subjected to preferential allocation for one region to the detriment of another.
5.b. If a Con-con is not called, or if it is not forthcoming, the Chief Executive will request passage of a law bringing changes in the budget system whereby what is for Mindanao goes to Mindanao, what is for Visayas goes to Visayas, what is for Luzon goes to Luzon and what is for Metro Manila goes to Metro Manila, so that the incomes and resources of the government are equitably shared between Metro Manila and the three great regions of the Philippines and the local government units under them, ensuring a more equitable spread-out of development across the archipelago; this new policy shall be called the “ASSURED REGIONAL PIE” POLICY.
6. By immediately forming Presidential Accountability Task Forces, to be called Accountability Task Force 1 (and 2, 3, and so on and so forth) consisting of the best and most idealistic lawyers and accountants within the Department of Justice and other related offices or adjuncts of the Executive Department, to investigate within six months all controversial deals and transactions entered into by the previous administration and, if the prima facie evidence warrants, to forthwith cause the filing of the necessary criminal, civil and administrative cases as may be applicable against all persons responsible, under the maxim that no one is above the law. Part of this accountability program is a program for protection of whistle-blowers who do not appear to be most guilty of the crime or offense charged, and whose testimony is crucial to pin down those who appear most guilty of the same, which program shall also provide economic and other security for state witnesses as may be necessary for their full protection.
7. By strengthening meritocracy in the civil service, among others, by de-militarizing the bureaucracy; a separate reward system will be established for those who serve in the military faithfully, but the civil service will not be used as a reward for some members of the military who may be used for dagdag-bawas and other “special ops”.
8. By increasing transparency and people’s participation in the screening of the judiciary, by reverting to the model of the 1935 Constitution for appointment of justices in the Supreme Court.
9. By institutionalizing Pres. Proc. No. 62, otherwise known as the Moral Recovery Program of the government, by asking Congress to pass a law that would institutionalize it.
10. By revising the curriculum of the elementary education by including the subject on GOOD VALUES, GOOD CITIZENSHIP, and/or GOOD MANNERS AND RIGHT CONDUCT as required subject at all grade levels.
11. By tasking pertinent undersecretaries for transparency and accountability in all government offices to report to the people all transactions undertaken by government in the respective departments and offices in excess of P5M.
12. By establishing a one-stop-shop for foreign and domestic investors wanting to invest or set up new business in the Philippines, and encouraging LGU’s to do likewise, in order to facilitate ease of registration and eliminate as much as possible structural opportunities for corruption.
13. By stopping smuggling that results in loss of jobs and closure of local businesses as well as importation based on unnecessary or fabricated “needs” which are rich sources of corruption.
B. By a clear legislative agenda, to wit:
1. Support the call of the Chief Executive for passage of a law calling for a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) to consider adopting the federal form of government under a presidential model, as well as other innovations to governance that would require amendment or revision of the Constitution.
2. Pending consideration of the possibility of shifting to the federal form of government by way of the Con-con, a law shall be passed that would give economic justice to the regions of the Philippines, whereby what should be for Mindanao goes to Mindanao, what is for Visayas goes to Visayas, what is for Luzon goes to Luzon, and what is for Metro Manila goes to Metro Manila.
3. Pass an implementing law that would give flesh and substance to the ECONOMIC RENT PRINCIPLE enshrined in Sec. 18 of the Local Government Code whereby local government units and communities will have a fair share of the incomes for the heavy use of natural resources in their areas.
4. Pass a law requested by the Chief Executive for the restoration of the death penalty according to the tenets of the Constitution, defining among others plunder and syndicated warlordism as heinous crimes deserving of the death penalty.
5. Pass the Freedom of Information Act.
6. Quash the Right of Reply Bill
7. Review the effectiveness of the Office of the Ombudsman, consider the desirability of making it an elective office, submitting the study to the people that it might be considered as a possible amendment to the Constitution by way of the Constitutional Convention.
8. Pass all necessary laws that will effect changes in policy directions for the rebuilding of the nation, such as, among others, support for the agricultural sector as the foundation of our economic growth and social justice program.
(Note: The foregoing legislative agenda is without prejudice to the individual legislative advocacies of the Senatorial Slate of BPP.)