Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 2nd district Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has filed a bill that, if enacted, would make life difficult for so-called "political turncoats" or "political butterflies".
Arroyo, a former president and House Speaker, filed House Bill (HB) no.488 or the proposed Political Party Act.
"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," read the explanatory note of the bill.
"This only shows the lack of ideological commitment to the members of the party because they choose parties based on the rise and fall of the tide of opportunity," it noted.
Arroyo, through her bill, insisted that turncoatism should neither be encouraged nor tolerated since it only distorts the concept of word of honor and dignity of a leader.
"It is in this light that the Political Party Act should be enacted. It is imperative that the political party system should be strengthened if we want to develop, achieve political development and democratization," she reckoned.
But what penalties would "balimbings" (turncoats) in politics have to face in case the measure gets enacted? Section 13 of the bill says, "Political turncoats shall be deemed to have forfeited their elective office if they change their political party affiliation one year before and one year after any national elections."
The Arroyo bill further provides for the following penalties against turncoats:
A.) Disqualification from running for any elective position in the next succeeding election immediately following the act of changing political party affiliation;
B.) Disqualification 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;
C.) Disqualification from assuming any executive or administrative position in the new political party; and
D.) Refund of any and all amounts received from one's former political party, plus a 25 percent surcharge thereon.
"We must enact laws to prevent the systems of ward politics and political chameleons that we have today," the Pampanga lawmaker said in her bill.
Arroyo is president emeritus of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party.