THE FIRST MEMBER OF THE PANEL OF EXPERT FOR BAYANKOS CROWDSOURCED CONSTITUTION From the hundreds of thousands of hits and visits into Bayanko.org.ph, many come from Filipinos from overseas. They have gained experience and knowledge working in countries with a parliamentary federal system. One such man is Dr. Rey Pagtakhan who has graciously accepted to be part of the panel that will draft the new crowdsourced Constitution. Dr. Rey D. Pagtakhan was the first Pinoy-Canadian who became a MP (Member of Parliament) in Canada and the first Pinoy to be an elected member of a federal or national legislature in the whole of North America and the world. He was also the first Pinoy to be appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and the first Pinoy to be appointed to the Federal Cabinet. He was awarded as Most Outstanding Young Filipino-Canadian in 1998. In 2002 he became Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister responsible for Manitoba and served on the Cabinet Committees on Economic Union, Social Union and Government Communications. In 2003 he was appointed by Prime Minister Paul Martin as Minister of Western Economic Diversification and served on the Cabinet Committees on Domestic Affairs and Aboriginal Affairs. “– from Wikipedia Rey was born in Bacoor, Cavite, Philippines. He received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of the Philippines. After graduation, Dr. Rey completed his residency and fellowship at the Washington University Medical Centre/St. Louis Children’s Hospital and his Master of Science from the University of Manitoba. He wrote “I salute Ms. Carmen Pedrosa as Convenor of BayanKo.org.ph, which I visited and found informative and inspiring. And I congratulate you for your commitment. A tall challenge, indeed, for all craving for good governance in the Philippines. Yes, I would be more than glad to share my insights from a Canadian perspective. Even Canada has had its share of lapses in political ethics; fortunately, few and far between. Here, a truly independent Auditor-General’s Office plays a pivotal role insofar as holding the government to financial accountability. A truly independent Supreme Court asserts the rule of law that is binding on both citizens and government. The principle of ministerial responsibility and accountability is a powerful tool which the Speaker in the House of Commons guards dutifully. Ministers uphold their Code of Ethics. The Speaker, once elected by his peers in Parliament, ceases to seat in his own political caucus meetings. Parliament as a whole is vigilant through its Committees. Daily Question Period – open to the public and televised for nationwide viewing – keeps the government on its toes. A truly independent Election Canada ensures the sanctity of the ballots. One requirement that all candidates, without exception, shall comply with is to designate during an election an Official Agent who submits directly to Election Canada an externally audited statement of the candidate’s election expenses and donations. There are limits to how much a candidate can spend during one’s election. Over and above the institutional strengths is the culture of political integrity and nobility of politics coupled with a vigilant citizenry. To the well-being of the Filipino people and kababayan, I remain hopeful of the future. Rey was born in Bacoor, Cavite. He received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of the Philippines. I asked his permission to publish his letter of acceptance. “Yes you may and I hope it facilitates dialogue to the extent that together we help distill the best in all of us — from all walks of life and beyond geographic borders — in the service of God and country, of truth and social justice.”
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 00:14:13 +0000
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