Bishops laud President Aquino on Charter change

A ranking Catholic prelate on Saturday lauded President Aquino’s recent pronouncement that a rewriting of the Constitution was not a priority of his administration.

Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, who had been critical of the President on other issues, said Mr. Aquino’s decision would have gladdened his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, under whose leadership the Constitution was written and approved.

“Yes, I guess his mother is happy. Let us hope he continues to follow the mind of the late President and think of the total welfare of the Filipino people and resist the imposition of powerful foreign authorities,” Arguelles said in an interview.

The President’s allies in Congress recently began moves aimed at amending the economic provisions of the Constitution. Included in the “constitutional reforms” are proposals that seek to expand foreign investors’ roles in the exploration, development and utilization of natural resources and allowing foreign ownership of industrial and commercial lands.

But former Dagupan-Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz said the President’s allies in Congress might still try to amend the Charter despite the President’s stand.

“Yes, because there is that perception that he wants it in fact (but) he is not clear. He is not certain. His conviction is not clear or not that strong. That is what I think,” Cruz said.

“My perception is that it does not matter much anymore in the two (other) branches of government—the judiciary and legislature. I don’t think they take him that seriously,” he said.

On Friday, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that Mr. Aquino remained certain that there was no need to amend the Charter. But he suggested that senators and other administration allies should try to persuade the President to reverse his position in a forthcoming meeting between them.

Also on Saturday, Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño accused the Liberal Party of “selling” the Philippines anew to foreign interests by pressing for Charter amendments.

In a statement, Casiño pointed out that since its formation, the LP had been at the forefront of yielding to foreign interests, particularly the United States.

“Historically speaking, the Liberal Party, under President Manuel Roxas, was at the forefront of selling our country to the US by first amending the Philippine Constitution and then railroading the so-called Philippine Trade Act or the Bell Trade Act of 1946,” Casiño said.

“This is also the same with what the current Liberal Party along with the Senate President and foreign businessmen is pushing through Cha-cha to the detriment of our economy and people,” Casiño said.

For his part, Vice President Jejomar Binay warned on Saturday that Charter change moves might not stop at amending economic provisions.

In a statement, Binay said that although the resolution seeking amendments states that the institution of reforms would be limited to economic provisions to entice investors to the country, other changes were a possibility.