Palace: Cha-cha fate in Senate hands

August 16, 2008

BY WENDELL VIGILIA AND DENNIS GADIL - MALACAÑANG yesterday said there is no need to ask administration allies in Congress to refrain from filing resolutions that would extend President Arroyo’s term because the Senate is in full control of the situation.

“The Senate is a mighty institution, I don’t think they need reassurances from the Palace,” said Gabriel Claudio, presidential adviser on political affairs.

But Senate President Manuel Villar said Malacañang’s allies at the House could press for a joint voting on proposed legislation amending the Constitution.

The Constitution says that proposed amendments to the Charter, including on term limits, should be voted upon by both chambers of Congress, but separately.

Villar said he has a strong suspicion that the Palace allies would run to Supreme Court to get its approval on the issue of joint voting. If the Supreme Court upholds the House, “bale wala (insignificant) ang Senado,” he said.

Talks of term extension were triggered by a memorandum of agreement that would have been signed by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation last week if not for a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court.

The MOA, among others, creates a Bangsamoro homeland, which will require amending the Constitution.

Suspicions that Malacañang is moving to extend President Arroyo’s stay in power beyond 2010 were bolstered by the Palace’s announcement of support for a resolution authored by Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel, which proposes a shift to a federal system of government. This also requires Charter changes.

At least 15 senators have signed the resolution. Sen. Biazon Rodolfo withdrew his support Thursday as he said Malacañang’s support “poses danger” to the Charter change move.

Senate President pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Sen. Panfilo Lacson have threatened to withdraw support on similar grounds.

Claudio said the senators have the power to stop Cha-cha moves like what it did in 2006 with Speaker Jose de Venecia’s move to convene the House into a constituent assembly without the Senate.

“The Senate then did not go along and that effort was stopped. I think the Senate is completely in control and there is nothing to fear,” he said.

Claudio said since amending the Constitution requires Congress’ approval, an assurance that the Palace would stop efforts to extend the President’s term “is really superfluous.”

There is also nothing unusual in the congressmen’s efforts to push Cha-cha because discussions and debates on the issue are just a part of the normal legislative process, he said.

“In fairness to the House I don’t think there’s a cause of agitation, excitement,” he said, noting that bills and resolutions on Cha-cha are constantly filed in every Congress.

La Union Rep. Victor Ortega, chairman of the committee on constitutional amendments of the House, has admitted a lawmaker has the right to introduce the extension of the President’s term in a constituent assembly.

ONLY FOR FEDERALISM

Claudio insisted Malacañang wants Cha-cha only to move towards federalism to address the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people,

Claudio said he was in Cagayan de Oro City for consultations with governors and other local chief executives on the MOA on ancestral domain.

He said the government peace panel was able to explain to the executives that the MOA is a mere proposal that would have to go through a plebiscite and approval by Congress.

“Nothing there talks about the term extension and that’s why we were wondering why the came up. There is nothing there except discussions on attaining sustainable peace in Mindanao,” he said.

“It was only in that context, it was exclusively in that context.I don’t think there’s any reason to get excited about Charter change,” he added.

NO HIDDEN AGENDA

Claudio said he explained to Saranggani Gov. Miguel Dominguez that the administration has no hidden agenda in pushing for federalism except for attaining peace in Mindanao.

He said the overwhelming concern of the local officials was not the mode that federalism is being pushed by the administration but the proposal to include 712 barangays in selected provinces in the ARMM.

“Nung naging maliwanag na ito’y diskusyon pa lamang, shall I call it a wish list, a list of things to finalize, naging mahinahon naman saila and from the beginning mahinahon naman sila,” he said.

Claudio said the administration has other plans in case the MOA is shot down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional but refused to elaborate.

GLORIA’S BROKEN PROMISES

Kidapawan (North Cotabato) Bishop Romulo dela Cruz said Arroyo should give up Cha-cha and instead push programs that would improve the lives of Filipinos.

“At kung maari ay huwag na muna siyang makialam sa politika kasi hanggang 2010 na lang ang kanyang trabaho. Sana harapin niya na ang 2010 na ang ending niya,” Dela Cruz said over Church-run Radio Veritas.

It is by bowing out of presidency while being able to alleviate the sufferings of the public that Arroyo will truly find a niche in her tumultuous presidency, he added.

According to Dela Cruz, the Catholic Church would not just stand idle if Arroyo pushes for Cha-cha to extend her stay.

“Kung ganyan ang mangyayari, ang Catholic Church ang makakalaban ni GMA because ilang beses na siyang gumawa ng promise na hindi natupad,” he said.

VESTED INTERESTS

Villar said the term extension moves through are being led by vested interest groups around Arroyo.

“Isang malaking grupo ‘yan, di lamang ang Pangulo yan. Siyempre ang mga taong nakapaligid sa kanya ay may ganyang pananaw (term extension) at di natin maiaalis na ang grupo na ‘yan ang magpapayo at aayaw na bumaba ang pangulo sa 2010,” he said.

He did not give names.

He said an overwhelming majority of senators remain opposed to Charter change before 2010.

NO ‘NO-EL’

Pimentel allayed the fears of fellow senators that the adoption of a federal system might cause the scrapping of the 2010 presidential elections.

He said his Resolution No. 10 does not abolish the presidential form of government.

“Even if the federalism proposal is adopted today, we cannot say it will take effect immediately. It will take time to restructure the government and put in place the federal system. It cannot be done under the present term of the President,” he said.

The adoption of the federal system and other amendments to the Constitution will have to be approved by the people in a national plebiscite, which will also entail a lot of time, he said.

“If I will have the way, we should now debate and decide on Resolution 10 because I’m still here. And as long as I am here, I will not allow any attempt to use the federalism proposal to push for a hidden political agenda,” he said.

JUST ADMIT IT

Sen. Loren Legarda said Malacañang should just have told the people that it wants Charter amendments instead of using the peace process with the MILF.

“One need not be a lawyer just to know that there is really something wrong in the way the government puts its plan in action, and here the people’s suspicion is that the government is moving high heavens to force Charter change,” she said.

Speaker Prospero Nograles said Arroyo publicly expressed her support to the Pimentel resolution only to make way for a federal form of government “which we, as Mindanaoans, fully advocate for the sake of unity and peace.”

He said local government units nationwide, through public consultations, should come up with their respective positions, which should help Congress come up with the true pulse of the people.

PRO-FEDERAL

Negros Occidental officials aired their support for a federal system.

Negros Occidental Gov. Isidro Zayco said a federal system will allow various areas in the country to decide their own priority programs.

San Carlos City Mayor Eugenio Jose Lacson said he is in favor of Cha-Cha and a unicameral form of government because it will be cheaper and legislation will be passed faster.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said if there should be any changes in the Constitution, among them should be the term of office of local government officials.

Leonardia said he has been consistent with his position that a three-year term for local government officials is quite short.

Murcia Mayor Esteban Coscolluela said Cha-cha is long overdue, “We need charter change. I’m not sure if a constituent assembly is the way to do it but we need to improve our charter, the clamor for federalism is very loud,” he said.

Vice Gov. Emilio Yulo III said his position against Cha-Cha has been consistent. “If we open our Constitution to revisions, we might touch on some other matters that should not be changed at this point,” he said. - With Gerard Naval and Gilbert Bayoran

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