MANILA, Philippines—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s allies are seeking a dialogue with religious leaders in a bid to defuse opposition to a move to amend the Constitution without the Senate’s participation.

“Talking to bishops and religious leaders is the best way to penetrate the masses and enlighten them on the real score,” Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino said as opposition groups mobilized to mount protests against Charter change (Cha-cha) beginning on Wednesday.

Unlike the senators and other political-oriented groups, Antonino said, the Catholic Church and other religious organizations have no stake in the 2010 elections and would have a more sober view.

Antonino cited Bro. Eddie Villanueva of the Jesus is Lord Movement who supported former President Fidel Ramos’ moves to revise the Constitution but called for protests against House Resolution No. 1109.

The measure, which the House of Representatives approved last week, seeks to convene a constituent assembly (Con-ass) to amend the Constitution.

Antonino expressed confidence that some senators would join the House in convening a Con-ass, especially if the Supreme Court upholds its position that Congress by a three-fourths vote, jointly and not separately, can revise the Constitution.

Under such an arrangement, the dominant lower house can easily overwhelm the Senate, which has passed a resolution opposing the initiative. However, Congress leaders said they would send invitations to a Con-ass to individual senators.

The House plans to convene a Con-ass with or without senators before the President delivers her State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27, according to Antonino, who believes this move will prompt the Supreme Court to take cognizance of the case.

Nograles still undecided

However, Speaker Prospero Nograles said he was not inclined to call a Con-ass until all legal issues had been resolved.

While the Senate has declared that it will not join the Con-ass, Antonino said that the House leadership would continue to hold dialogues with the senators to convince them that it was in their best interest to participate.

“Let’s give them time to digest the issue. These are all off-the-cuff reactions, fear of the unknown. Over time senators will support it. If the SC upholds our Con-ass, they have no choice but to join so that they could have inputs once we start moving to change the Constitution,” Antonino said.

“With dialogues, we can reach consensus,” he added.

Antonino said he would join the protest rally on Wednesday if invited. “Why limit it to one school of thought? Let those who have different views be allowed to explain to the rallyists.”

3 covenants

The Nueva Ecija lawmaker said that proponents had explicitly stated three covenants in HR 1109—no term extension for all elected officials, there will be elections in 2010 and the unexpired terms of senators will be respected.

“If the Con-ass will not follow these covenants, I will join those opposing it because I have placed my honor on these covenants,” Antonino said.

Nograles said he would like to consult with leaders of the two chambers and other sectors “to get a clearer picture of what to do next.”

“Frankly, we are still in a legal disagreement as to the procedures to follow after the approval of 1109. I therefore need to clear the air as to the legal procedure,” Nograles said in a statement.

Court intervention

Rep. Victor Ortega, chair of the House committee on constitutional amendments, said a Con-ass would have to be convened to trigger a “justiciable controversy” so that a Supreme Court case could be filed to interpret the Constitution’s provision on the issue.

“I personally believe we cannot do away with the intervention of the Senate for the reason that it’s a bicameral form of legislature,” the La Union congressman said.

Asked if a Con-ass would be convened if the senators decide to sit it out, Ortega replied: “That is for the House to decide when we get back.”

Administration lawmakers yesterday scoffed at warnings that martial law could be declared if the mass protests turned violent, saying this was never in the President’s radar.

“In the eight years that the President has been leading our nation, she never considered martial law as an option in dealing with rallies and protests against the administration,” House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Simeon Datumanong said in a statement.

“Our law enforcers know how to apply maximum tolerance during rallies and street protests,” Datumanong said.

Senate to reject invitation

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon said that he would reject any invitation to join the Con-ass.

“Any senator who will proceed there and participate in the convening of the Con-ass has no legal personality to represent the chamber in the proceedings and so therefore if I receive an invitation, I’m not attending,” Biazon said in a news briefing.

“Any participation in the Senate must be a collective decision and that decision must be debated in plenary and that decision must be voted on and carried by a majority of the chamber,” he said.

Administration Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. said in a statement he would not accept such an invitation. With a report from Christine O. Avendaño