IN CONGRESS
Arroyo son leads Charter change move
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:01:00 11/20/2008
Filed Under: Charter change, Politics, Constitution
MANILA, Philippines—Charter change is gathering steam in the House of Representatives with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's eldest son, Pampanga Representative Juan Miguel "Mikey'' Arroyo personally leading a signature drive to amend the Constitution through a constituent assembly (Con-Ass).
Iloilo Representative Raul Gonzalez Jr. said in an interview that the number of signatories to a resolution seeking to organize Congress into a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution, with both chambers voting jointly and not separately, ranged between 120 and 150 signatures. He said the President's party Kampi formed the core group behind the signature drive.
"I was approached by Congressman Mikey last week when I just arrived at the session hall. He requested that I sign and when I looked at the papers, this was about Charter change through constituent assembly,'' said Gonzalez. "Since this was being supported by administration coalition since the 13th congress, I had no hesitation and signed the resolution.''
But Gonzalez said that he would not know whether the group could hit the "magic number'' of 196 signatures which represented the two-third votes of the combined membership of the Senate (23) and the House (238). He said that if the House intended to carry out the Con-Ass, it should win the battle in its own backyard since the majority of senators would most likely reject the single voting.
Curiously, Gonzalez and other administration solons who signed the bill do not have a copy of the constituent assembly action.
A senior congressman, who requested anonymity, claimed that there was only one copy being passed around in Congress and that the signatories were only informed that the bill, once it has gathered the necessary votes to carry it out, would be used to convince the Supreme Court to rule on how Congress should vote in a Con-Ass to amend the Constitution.
There are currently three pending bills in the House calling for Charter change through Congressional initiative but only Representative Rufus Rodriguez's bill, filed last May, specifically moved to convene Congress into a constituent assembly while the other two bills, introduced by Representatives Victor Ortega and Edelmiro Amante, batted for a constitutional convention where the members are elected.
Rodriguez, however, informed the Philippine Daily Inquirer that he has already withdrawn his bill.
The solon who asked not to be identified said the Con-Ass initiative being led by Arroyo was running on a separate but parallel track with the signature drive being led by House Speaker Prospero Nograles for his bill, House Resolution 737, seeking to amend sections 2 and 3 Article XII of the Constitution to allow foreign investors equal access as domestic investors to land and natural resources.
Nograles said on Thursday that 163 out of 238 members of the House have come on board, indicating the strong disposition of the majority of the Lower House to amend the Charter.
A source said that the biggest stumbling bloc to the administration's Charter change ambitions was the reluctance of the Liberal Party and Nationalist People's Coalition, key allies in the rainbow coalition, due to their aversion to extending Arroyo’s term.
Anti-Arroyo forces claim that the wishful prayer in the Cabinet meeting, the ascension of an ally in the Senate, and the impending swift disposal of the impeachment complaint were all signs that President Arroyo is bent on staying in power beyond 2010 through Charter change.
Nograles said that regardless of whoever sits as Senate president, the move to amend the Charter has always been the goal of the House since the 12th Congress.
Mandaluyong Representative Neptali Gonzales II said that Senator Juan Ponce Enrile’s ascension to the Senate leadership does not change the Senate's disposition on Charter change, which they want to be deferred until after President Arroyo stepped down.
"The majority of senators, both administration and opposition, are opposed to Charter change and that has not changed,'' said Gonzales said.
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