The Philippines former leader says the current presidential system is no good
Fidel Ramos yesterday blamed his country's problems on a failed legislative system and called for a new constitution.
Mr Ramos, long an advocate of constitutional reform who on Thursday denied links to a new plot to overthrow President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said the present constitution had no provisions to deal with a leader who was 'non-performing, abusive or corrupt'.
He said in Hong Kong, after presenting prizes at a travel magazine's awards ceremony, that the only option in such cases was for military intervention. This had happened in February 1986 with the overthrowing in a popular revolution of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, and in January 2001, when Mrs Arroyo took power after the military withdrew support for her predecessor, Joseph Estrada.
'But we don't want to go through that process over and over again or by waiting out the term of a non-performing president,' Mr Ramos said.
'I, and many others, are therefore advocating constitutional change.'
Mr Ramos, 75, a general who has also served as army chief of staff and defence minister, did not criticise Mrs Arroyo's performance, or comment on an attempt in July by disaffected military officers to stage a coup d'etat. The president said last year she did not intend to stand in elections next May.