Opposition to admin: Go slow on charter change, shift to federalism

PERILS OF CHARTER CHANGE Former Constitutional Commissioner Christian Monsod took part in a discussion of the perils of amending the Constitution at Malcolm Hall of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, in Quezon City on Feb. 13. —GRIG C.MONTEGRANDE

The Duterte administration likes to say change is coming, but the Filipinos aren’t willing to change the form of government.

So the senators have this advice to the administration: Slow down the Charter change train and don’t rush the shift to federalism.

Opposition and militant congressmen said the results of the latest poll on the proposal to amend the Constitution showed that Filipinos do not see a shift to federalism as the solution to their problems and indicate their suspicions about the real motives of the politicians pushing for Charter change.

The lawmakers spoke on Wednesday after independent pollster Pulse Asia released the results of its latest survey that showed 66 percent of Filipinos are not in favor of changing the form of government. Another 64 percent do not favor amending the Constitution at this time.

Much needs to be done

The senators said the administration should instead conduct a more intensive campaign about this advocacy of President Duterte and his political party.

Malacañang agreed, saying the Pulse Asia findings meant much still needed to be done to inform the people about and educate them on Charter change.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque noted that the survey showed only 49 percent of Filipinos were aware of the proposals to amend the Constitution.

“This implies there is still a lot of work to be done by the government in informing, educating and reaching out to our countrymen regarding constitutional reforms,” Roque said.

The 21-member consultative committee formed by Mr. Duterte to propose amendments to the Constitution said it viewed the Pulse Asia poll as “a guide and a challenge.”

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the committee said it was “confident that public perception will change” once it was done drafting the proposed revisions to the Constitution, which would be highlighted by a shift to federalism.

“Ultimately the true pulse of the people will be felt and shown when the plebiscite is held for the people to decide whether or not they want a new Constitution and a new system of government,” the committee said.

Everyday problems

For Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, the survey results mean that people are not convinced that changing the form of government from unitary to federal will solve the problems of hunger, poverty, unemployment and lawlessness.

“The survey must serve as a wake-up call for the administration and the proponents of federalism in Congress that what the people want is a real solution to the problems that confront them daily,” Drilon said in a statement.

“This is what the Congress should prioritize, not term extension to justify a shift to a federal system,” he added.

Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, a  supporter of federalism, said the uncertainties about the shift to a federal government should be cleared up or people would continue to shun the idea.

“There is that concept that what people fear most is change, so without addressing the uncertainties of shifting to a different system, then there will continue to be resistance from the people,” Zubiri said in a text message.

He expressed openness to the alternative of piecemeal amendments to the Constitution for devolution of more  powers to the local governments.

Don’t force it

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, chair of the committee on constitutional amendments, said the government should not force the shift to federalism on the people.

“This lack of support for [Charter change] and federalism even in Mindanao, which is supposed to benefit from this push and is reflected in the survey results, simply means that rushing [the amendment of the Constitution] and forcing it [on] the citizens is not the way to go,” Pangilinan said.

People seem to sense that the Department of the Interior and Local Government is forcing federalism on local communities to stop elections in 2019, he said.

The general sentiment during the hearings on Charter change called by his committee, he said, was that people did not have enough knowledge of the Constitution, the reason why they could not make a decision on Charter change.

Unfamiliar concept

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III acknowledged that federalism remains an unfamiliar concept to many, which is why its advocates should intensify their information drive on it.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said the same thing in a statement.  “We must revise the three-decade-old Constitution to make it responsive to changing times,” he said.

But Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said the survey showed the people doubted the intentions of the proponents of federalism.

“It’s high time President Duterte focused on governing rather than on trifling with our Constitution and the rule of law,” Alejano said in a statement.

Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas said the survey results should serve as a warning to the supermajority in the House against railroading the amendment of the Constitution. —With reports from Christine O. Avendaño, Dona Z. Pazzibugan and Jerome Aning