The Society of Honor by Joe America

Honorable Members of Congress,

I write as a private citizen who believes that democratic reform begins not with slogans, but with institutional discipline, accountability, and humility before the Constitution.

First, I respectfully urge Congress to strengthen its oversight role over laws that remain unenforced because they lack Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs). A law without an IRR is not reform; it is a press release. Congress should require time-bound IRRs, conduct regular compliance audits, and hold executive departments and line agencies accountable when laws stagnate in bureaucratic limbo. Oversight should not end at enactment.

Second, the difficulty of initiating People’s Initiatives has turned a constitutional right into a near-impossible exercise. Excessive procedural hurdles, unclear standards, and institutional resistance have hollowed out what was meant to be a democratic safety valve. Rather than fearing direct democracy, Congress should help make it functional.

One possible reform is the creation of a People’s Commission—independent, professional, and insulated from partisan pressure—to administer people’s initiatives and referenda. Drawing from a hybrid of Irish-style citizens’ assemblies and Swiss direct democracy, such a body can deliberate, vet proposals, and elevate serious reforms. This need not bypass Congress; on the contrary, it can complement Congress by surfacing long-term, people-driven proposals that legislatures often defer or avoid.

This brings me to reforms that have languished for decades—notably the anti-political dynasty bill. The repeated failure to pass enabling legislation has weakened public trust. Congress may wish to consider procedural rules that prevent constitutional mandates and major reform bills from being quietly buried through inaction.

On federalism, the public deserves candor. Devolution is already underway, yet implementation of the Mandanas-Garcia ruling and the Local Government Code remains uneven and problematic. Proposing federalism without first fixing fiscal transfers, local capacity, and accountability risks compounding dysfunction rather than solving it.

Similarly, proposals to transfer the national capital must be examined with caution. Without rigorous planning, such moves risk accelerating abandonment in Metro Manila while creating future underutilization and social dislocation in a new capital—replicating, rather than resolving, spatial inequality.

On proposals for a unicameral legislature, history suggests prudence. The Senate has repeatedly proven its value as a fiscalizer and institutional check, particularly in times of executive overreach and fiscal stress. Efficiency should not come at the expense of accountability.

Democracy is not strengthened by shortcuts. It is strengthened by institutions that work, laws that are implemented, and citizens who are treated as partners rather than obstacles.

I hope Congress will view these concerns not as criticism, but as an invitation—to complete unfinished reforms, to enable meaningful participation, and to govern with foresight rather than expedience.

Respectfully,

Karl Garcia
Private Citizen

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Cover photo from 2025 Business Mirror article “House okays ₱6.793T ‘transparent’ 2026 budget, cuts OVP budget by ₱156M“.