Senator Win Gatchalian filed a resolution proposing to have the two Houses of Congress amend the 1987 Constitution to establish a single ticket system in electing the President and Vice President of the country by seeking the concurrence of three-fourths of all its members, with each chamber voting separately.
“This will not only strengthen the political party system but will also provide the much-needed push to shift towards a more unified and consistent ideological or platform-based election that will promote policy continuity and assure implementation efficiency,” Gatchalian said in his filed Resolution of Both Houses No. 3.
“By institutionalizing a single ticket for the President, the focus of election will shift from the personalities involved to the political party’s common and unified policy agenda and contribute to more programmatic political debate and more effective governance,” he added.
Gatchalian proposed that the Senate and the House of Representatives, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members, with each House voting separately, amend the provision under Section 4 of Article VII to mandate the election of the President and Vice President as a single ticket.
In the same provision, the senator sought to explicitly state that “each ticket of candidates for President and Vice President shall be proposed prior to the holding of general elections by political parties or coalitions of political parties which are participants in the general elections.”
The election returns that will be transmitted to Congress for canvassing procedure will also be as a single ticket and the ticket of candidates for President and Vice President that will have the highest number of votes shall be proclaimed elected, Gatchalian explained.
As shown in the past, there existed either animosity between the two higher holders of office or coalition of convenience whenever the elected president and vice president come from different political parties, he said.
Such was the case in the last five presidential and vice-presidential elections which yielded a split ticket of the winning candidates, Gatchalian stressed.
“There is a need to strengthen the existing political party system by electing a President and a Vice President in the same ticket focused on addressing issues faced by the country and on improving the delivery of public services,” the senator said.
