Rep. Arlene Brosas (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippine — Opposition lawmaker Arlene Brosas on Wednesday described as “most insidious and most dangerous” the charter change being pushed at the House of Representatives, opening the Constitution to tweaking that could see political term limits extended and the country’s sovereignty sold out.
In a statement Brosas, the Gabriela women’s party list representative, said in Filipino: “This Cha-cha is deceptive and dangerous. [The proponents] claim that this does not have the President’s blessing but hearings are being held almost every day to push for it. They claim that only economic provisions would be amended but it is clear that even political amendments would be made by the constitutional convention. They could sneak in an amendment that could give the President broader powers.”
“This is the most insidious and most dangerous Cha-cha ever,” she added.
Brosas has been vocal in opposing Resolution of Both Houses 6 (RBH 6), calling for the formation of a hybrid con-con made up of both elected and appointed delegates to amend or revise the Constitution, and its enabling bill which has been approved by the House committee on constitutional amendments chaired by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.
“Cha-cha under a Marcos presidency poses dangers to [the] constitutional tenets of free speech, separation of powers, civilian supremacy, and other principles crucial to democracy,” she pointed out, citing the 1971 Constitutional Convention that wrote the 1973 Constitution allowing former President Ferdinand Marcos an “unlimited” term of office and created a “rubber stamp” legislature in the Batasang Pambansa.
“Worse, they are also pushing the total sellout of national patrimony and sovereignty through 100% foreign ownership of land, resources, utilities, mass media and other vital economic sectors,” Brosas said, adding, “Everything that’s valuable to the Filipino people would be given up by this Cha-cha.”
She vowed: “Filipino women will not stand idly as they railroad the measure seeking to rewrite the rules in favor of those in power. Women’s groups are determined to block this measure and stage various forms of protest, especially this Women’s Month.”