PAMPANGA Rep. Gloria Arroyo has filed a bill seeking to prohibit and penalize political turncoats to strengthen the country’s political system.
Under House Bill No. 488, political turncoats will be deemed to have forfeited their elective office if they change their political party affiliation one year before or after the elections.
“Our history tells us that political parties in the Philippines are normally used only as political vehicles to win an election. Hence, most political aspirants change political parties for convenience, rather than because of conviction,” said the former president and speaker.
Arroyo, who filed a similar bill in the 17th Congress, said politicians’ practice of jumping from one party to another “only shows the lack of ideological commitment to the members of a party because they choose parties based on the rise and fall of the tide of opportunity.”
“Turncoatism should never be encouraged or tolerated since it only distorts the concept of word of honor and dignity of a leader,” she said. “It is imperative that the political party system be strengthened if we want to develop, achieve political development and democratization.”
The bill also seeks to disqualify turncoats or political chameleons from running for any elective position in the next succeeding election immediately after the act of changing political party affiliation.
He or she will also be disqualified from being appointed or from holding any position in any public or government office for three years after the expiration of the current term/office.
The proposal will also prohibit turncoats from assuming any executive or administrative position in the new political party and will need to refund all amounts received from one’s former political party plus a 25 percent surcharge.
