‘Cha-cha just taking a power nap’

PDI/JOAN BONDOC

Rejecting the reckoning by the country’s lawmakers, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar on Thursday insisted that Charter change (Cha-cha)—not the dance but the government-led movement to revise the 1987 Constitution for a shift to federalism—was not dead.

“Cha-cha is just on a power nap,” Andanar declared in a radio interview.

Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has said there is not enough time during her term for the House of Representatives, sitting with the Senate in a constituent assembly (Con-ass), to approve revisions to the Constitution.

Senate uninterested

Arroyo, who was elected Speaker on July 23, will complete her term in June next year.

The Senate has rejected a Con-ass, even with the House changing its mind and saying separate voting on proposed amendments is really the way to go.

The senators say they don’t trust the congressmen on that one: They could spring a surprise on the senators after they have sat down together.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III says it is better to discuss the overhauling of the Constitution after next year’s midterm elections.

With time unstoppably running out for Cha-cha in the House, Sen. Panfilo Lacson has pronounced it  “comatose.”

But if by some miracle the House revives it and manages to clear Malacañang’s proposed federal Constitution, Lacson says the thing will be “cremated” once it reaches the Senate.

P90-M info drive

“We respect, of course, the opinion of our lawmakers—if that is what they are saying,” said Andanar, who refused to accept that Cha-cha was dead.

“What is important is for our countrymen to know the importance of federalism,” he said, referring to the P90-million information drive being planned by the government to explain the proposed shift to the nation.

Andanar said Cha-cha was “just building up strength.”

“When it wakes up, we’ll have a smooth information drive,” he said.

Earlier, Andanar said an interagency group was discussing ways of promoting federalism.

But his assistant secretary, sexy-dancer-turned-government-official Mocha Uson, loused up the drive before it could start by taking the first step and launching a dirty-dancing video that raised public outrage—and doubts about the government’s chances of pulling Cha-cha through. —WITH A REPORT FROM LEILA B. SALAVERRIA