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AMID
threats they will once again be the center of massive
protests if they railroad the proposal to amend the
Constitution, legislators succumbed to pressure and
agreed to launch massive consultations in different
parts of the country before voting on Charter change
(Cha-cha).
At the
hearing of the House Committee on Constitutional
Amendments on Tuesday, legislators, voting 11-5, agreed
to conduct consultations on Cha-cha all over the country
until November this year.
“It is
very important that the voice of the people be heard
first before making any move,” said Pwersa ng Masang
Pilipino-United Opposition Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of
Cagayan de Oro in his proposal to defer the voting on
Cha-cha.
Meanwhile, the Makati Business Club (MBC) and the
Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), in a
joint press statement, said the proper mode for a
constitutional change should only be through a
convention.
Saying,
“At long last, the administration’s game plan has become
transparent” that the people must be seduced into
thinking the Constitution must be amended now, the
statement added, “it is inaccurate” to say the Senate
Resolution convening the constituent assembly can limit
the subject matter to be considered.
“It is
anybody’s guess as to the exact provisions the
President’s people at the assembly will move to change,”
the business groups said.
They
stressed that if the people ever decide to change to
form of government to a federation, “the people’s
decision, in order to be free and informed, needs to be
made after the expiry of the presidential term in 2010.”
At the
same time, Party-list Rep. Liza Maza of Gabriela earlier
called on her colleagues to stop “yielding to
Malacañang’s call for Charter change.”
“Let us
not allow Congress to become the wielder of the wedge
that will divide our people further. This is the last
thing our country needs,” said Maza before the start of
the committee hearing.
“Several
attempts at Charter change have been repeatedly rejected
by the people. This has been reflected not just in
surveys but in massive protest actions. Deciding on
whether or not to dance the Cha-cha should be done after
nationwide consultations. Let us all be reminded that we
are supposed to be a democracy,” she added.
Party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis echoed
Maza’s call.
The
legislators who voted against holding a
consultation—Nationalist People’s Coalition Rep.
Giorgidi Aggabao of Isabela; Laban ng Demokratikong
Pilipino Rep. Maria Isabelle Climaco of Zamboanga City;
Lakas Reps. Pedro Romualdo of Camiguin and Neil Tupas
Jr. of Iloilo and Liberal Party Rep. Hermilando Mandanas
of Batangas—vowed to respect the majority’s decision.
They
contended that consultations have been made more than a
decade ago, but the climate did not favor them to prove
that this is the best way to speed up the country’s
economic gains.
“When is
the right time to amend the Constitution? It started
during the time of President Ramos, then during [the]
Erap [Estrada] administration and now [the] GMA [Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo] administration but still, the
opposition always claim the timing is not perfect,” said
Aggabao.
For his
part, Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino Rep. Rodolfo
Antonino of Nueva Ecija said legislators must also
resolve the issue on the Senate and House voting
separately or vote as one.
On
Monday, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL)
and law students warned legislators against joining the
bandwagon generated by Malacañang for Cha-cha, lest they
once again be the center of massive protests.
In the
Senate, the chairman of the Committee on Constitutional
Amendments said senators would not be stampeded into
adopting any House action to front-load controversial
Charter changes in the Congress agenda, including
initiatives to lift term limits on incumbent officials
led by President Arroyo whose tenure ends in 2010.
“The
Senate won’t allow that,” Sen. Richard Gordon earlier
told the BusinessMirror amid reports that his
counterpart chairman in the House is set to call a
committee vote this week on which mode to adopt in
considering proposals to tinker with the 1987 Charter.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Arroyo’s critics from the grassroots
assailed her directive to hasten the release of pork
barrel, suspecting that it was meant to railroad Charter
change to extend her term and stay in power.
“This is
simply one plus one equals two. The President
immediately issued an executive order tasking the
Department of Budget and Management [DBM] to release the
pork barrel on the eve of the House deliberation on the
a resolution on Cha-cha that would extend the term of
Mrs. Arroyo and her political lackeys in Congress,”
Fernando Hicap, Pambasang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya
ng Pilipinas national chairman, said in a press
statement.
Hicap
was referring to Mrs. Arroyo’s signing Administrative
Order 236 directing the DBM to immediately release the
Philippine Development Assistance Fund or the pork
barrel allegedly to fund development projects.
Pamalakaya said the situation merits the anti-Cha-cha
intervention of the influential Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines.
“The die
is cast and the archbishops and bishops must come
forward to join the people’s outrage against this
selfish Cha-cha and term-extension project of Malacañang,”
Hicap said. |
