MANILA, Philippines?The gloves are off in the long-simmering feud between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?s top two allies in the House of Representatives.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte Monday accused Speaker Prospero Nograles of betrayal and a rudderless leadership in their tussle over what mode of Charter change (Cha-cha) to adopt.

Villafuerte charged that Nograles deliberately sat on House Resolution No. 1109, which he authored, calling for a constituent assembly (Con-ass) mode sans the Senate for Cha-cha.

Instead, he said that Nograles pushed his House Resolution No. 737 seeking to lift Constitutional restrictions on foreign equity investments through ordinary legislation?the so-called ?fourth mode? of amending the Constitution.

?Our leader in the House does not seem to know where he wants to lead us. He keeps shifting from one position to another, he never finishes anything. This is a mindless, directionless approach to the issue, and I am disgusted of it all,? Villafuerte said.
He claimed that a number of lawmakers from the majority applauded his move to withdraw support from HR 1109 and he expected some of them to follow his lead.

HR 1109 is set for approval by the committee on constitutional amendments on Tuesday.

?I think he is wrong,? Nograles said. ?But we should let the entire House decide on the mode and settle who is right or wrong.?

He said he could not understand why Villafuerte would accuse him of betrayal when he endorsed HR 1109 for deliberations.

?I did not ask him to draft it. I signed it because he claimed his was the right way. We both agreed that the Cha-cha mode should be settled by the Supreme Court because nobody knows,? Nograles said.

Ruse to extend Arroyo term

Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello said the Villafuerte-Nograles feud could just be an administration ruse to sow confusion and spring a surprise by pushing for an extension of the President?s term, which expires next year, through Charter change.

Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros Baraquel described the feud as a ?power play on who will bring home the bacon that is Cha-cha to GMA.?

Villafuerte said he would block not only Nograles? fourth Charter change mode but also his ?Plan B,? or a constitutional convention (Con-con) starting in August should HR 737 fail to get support.

He said the election of Con-con delegates along with the candidates for the 2010 elections would unduly ?overburden? the Commission on Elections.

Villafuerte denounced ?an element of mistrust? in the whole affair.

?I proposed HR 1109 as the possible and winnable formula subject to clarification by the Supreme Court. He was the first one to sign it. But after signing it, he held on to the document and he never did anything until April 22. What kind of game are we playing? Is it the Speaker?s game plan to adopt a method that will certainly lose anyway?? he said.

HR 737 stillborn

When asked whether he felt betrayed that Nograles pushed for the fourth mode, Villafuerte said: ?You can call it that.?

Villafuerte said that Nograles? HR 737 was ?stillborn or dead before it was delivered? because the Constitution only allowed Charter change through either a Con-ass, Con-con or people?s initiative.

He cited Supreme Court rulings that differentiated between Congress? power to make laws and change the Constitution where senators and congressmen act as members of a Con-ass rather than lawmakers.

While he agreed for Nograles to finally act on HR 1109, Villafuerte was irked when his request for a suspension of the plenary debates on HR 737 until HR 1109 was approved at the committee level was rejected two weeks ago.

This triggered Villafuerte?s declaration last week that Charter change was dead.

But Nograles said his HR 737 was filed in July 2008, while HR 1109 was filed only in March. He said both resolutions were meant to trigger a Supreme Court ruling on the proper Charter change mode.

Contrary to Villafuerte?s claim, Nograles said that his fourth mode?where the constitutional amendment would be approved from first reading through third reading just like any regular law but with a three-fourths vote and not just simple majority?was based on the House rules that have been in use as far back as the 8th Congress.