Saturday, June 04, 2005
10 organizations pledge to back move to change Constitution
By Jeanette P. Malinao
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
Some civic groups support President Arroyo’s call for a Constitutional Convention (Concon), believing that the cost of failing to change the constitution is the “collapse of democracy.”
Ten nongovernment organizations (NGOs) have banded together to form the Citizens for Concon, which is conducting a series of trainers’ training for civil society in the provinces “in preparation for conferences on constitutional reforms.”
Arroyo had announced that she will propose for the holding of a Concon when Congress reopens next year. This is to change the government to a parliamentary system.
“We are happy that even without much prodding, the President made that declaration… This is long overdue,” said Rey Teves, chairman of the Citizens’ Movement for a Federal Philippines, a member of the coalition.
Arroyo, in her state-of-the-nation address last year, imposed a moratorium on moves to amend the Constitution to give way to the passage of revenue measures.
“Given the pronouncement of the President, we are now hoping that the Lower House led by Speaker Jose de Venecia will follow the cue and modify its earlier House committee resolution for a constituent assembly to shift to a resolution on constitutional convention,” said Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform.
Dr. Jose Abueva of the University of the Philippines said that now is the time for a constitutional change, so the move will not be overtaken by politicking for the presidential elections by 2010.
If we fail now, Abueva said, the next opportunity will be in 2016 yet.
The Citizens for Concon is a national movement of 10 civil society organizations such as the Caucus of Development NGO Networks (Code-NGO), Citizens Movement for a Federal Philippines (CMFP), Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute, Institute for Popular Democracy, Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, Konsyensiyang Pilipino, Local Governance Citizens’ Network, National Peace Conference, Pascres, and Philippine Community Organizers’ Society. (JPM)
(June 4, 2005 issue)
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