• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, Oct. 6, the suggestion of Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano for the officials in the executive and legislative branches to resign and allow snap elections may help restore public trust in the government.
“I think it will help,” Lacson said. “The people will decide on who will be our leaders.”
In a Facebook post on Oct. 5, Cayetano said: “What if we all just resign and allow a snap election from the president, vice president, senate, and congress, with one important addition – no incumbent from the above can run for one election cycle.”
“It could be a solution, especially if we elect persons of integrity, and a person, who is decided to try to eradicate corruption, especially in the higher offices,” Lacson said, adding though that it will be a tough decision for the senators and congressmen and even the president and vice president to make.
For his part, Senate President Vicente Sotto III dismissed Cayetano’s proposal for snap elections to restore public trust in government, saying there is no legal or constitutional basis to hold one.
“There is no legal, constitutional basis, or a framework to do that. I think it’s an opinion of a legislator so I will leave it at that. Hindi pwedeng gawin ‘yun at the moment (That cannot be done at the moment),” Sotto said in a press briefing at the Senate.
Dismissing such idea as unfair and impractical, Sotto said it cannot be an option.
“What do you do with those who are not guilty? What do you do to those who are newly elected and have no bad records? What do you do with them? Idadamay mo dun sa mga guilty (Would you include them with the guilty)?” he said.
Sotto stressed that restoring trust in government depends not on resetting the political system, but on ensuring transparency in governance and accountability through the justice system.
He added the public will again trust once it sees that government funds are being properly used, investigations are thorough, and the courts are delivering clear and fair outcomes. | GB with PNA reports
