VIGAN CITY – Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson became the first government official in Northern Luzon to sound out his personal objection to the “no election” proposal of the Constitutional Commission.

Singson, chairman of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, is not only against the “no election” proposal but also against the shift from presidential to parliamentary form of government.

Saying the two proposals are “undemocratic”, Singson believed that both will deprive the people of their right to elect their leaders.

“The proposed parliamentary form of government will greatly benefit national leaders who cannot win in the election process,” he said.

He expressed the view that in the proposed parliamentary form of government, leaders who have great resources to spare have a better chance of becoming a prime minister.

Under the parliamentary government, he added, only members of Parliament will be the ones who will choose the country’s prime minister, the most powerful man in the government and the country.

This is in contrast with the present presidential system where the President of the land will be elected by the people at large.

It will be recalled that this is precisely the argument put forward for a parliamentary government because it will not be too costly for great leaders to seek office unlike in the presidential form. Singson is personally endorsing the federal-presidential form of government, claiming, that this is more relevant and effective type of governance.

He said that this proposal will be akin to the form of government of the United States which is federal but its president is elected by the people.

“One of the advantages of the federal-presidential government is the retention of the resources and income in the region or state that would hasten development because the same will not be remitted to the central government anymore but rather says in the region or state.