The Constitution should not be amended to extend the term of

office of the President. (7mins)

One term is good enough and there is life after the presidency.- Cory Aquino.
Lifting the Presidents single, six-year term is a threat to democracy.
Our democracy at present is again in danger due to those who are pushing the president
to extend his term after 2016 by amending the constitution to remove the term limits
for president- Binay
We must remain vigilant and defiant to any sitting president who pretends to be pro-
people, pro-democracy and patriotic.-Samahan ng Ex-detainees laban sa detensyo at
aresto(selda), an organization of former political prisoners.
There is lack of enthusiasm at the House of Representatives to amend the Constitution to allow
President Aquino to have a second term, a leader of the chamber said
six years is long enough and that a president must give way to other good people.- constitutional
expert Fr. Joaquin Bernas
Any person, no matter how good he is, may be replaced by others equally good.
I am against term extension. Id like to confirm thats my stand, Belmonte
studies show that the longer an individual stays in office, the more likely they are to stop serving
the public and begin serving their own interests.

Arguments

1. The six-year term will give the President a reasonable time within which to implement his
plans and programs of government. He can concentrate on being President free from the
demands of partisan politics. (De Leon)
The framers of the Constitution had intended that the term of office of the president is a
single, six-year term. It is six years. Is that a short term for a good president? If youre a
good president, six years is long enough to implement your reforms and projects for the
country. Why would you seek for another term? Well, may be because you are not that
good enough or maybe you just want power.
Single term of six years is ideal because it has quality. Remember the word quality,
not quantity. Extending the term of office refers to Quantity, because a president
may serve for longer years but those years do not have quality, because in his first term,
he was not able to focus on important issues in the country, because he was already
busy campaigning for his re-election.
On the other hand, a single term of six years has quality. In this system, the president
can concentrate on his agenda without worrying about re-election. The president would
not think about campaigning for his another run at the presidency, he would just focus
on improving the country, in this way, he can build his undying legacy.
2. A president who seeks a second term is under a terrific handicap in the performance of his
functions. The result has been that political motivation is attributed to practically every act he
performs.
3. A president seeking a second term is vulnerable to constant political pressures from those
whose support he must preserve and has to devote his time and energy to consolidate this
political support.
4. Single term of six years forwards the concept of fair democratic system.

Possible Arguments from Opponents:
1. Term limits foreclose the possibility of a good President being recalled to the office at some
future time should his services be required.
Rebuttal: His service wont be needed because there are others who are equal or better than
him who can serve the country.
2. The people are the wisest judge on how many terms a President is going to have
R: Sometimes the people are not wise. Look at those people who vote for someone simply
because he is popular or rich. Let us admit that some, if not most, voters sell their votes.
3. President Noynoy Aquino is a good president, thus, he deserves re-election.
R: Whether he is a good president is debatable. But I do not think that he is. Assuming that he is
a good president, it does not warrant him a term extension or a chance for re-election
4. Extending the presidents term of office is more democratic because it gives people a lot of
choices among the candidates, including the incumbent president.
R: The people have already decided during the ratification of the Constitution in which the term
of office of the president is limited to a single six-year term.
5. The United States adopts two, four-year term, so we should also adopt it.
R: The U.S. and The Philippines are different.
6. The president must listen to the voices of the people
R: The people said NO!
7. Continuation of programs PNoy started
R: Let someone else continue those programs.