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Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Editorials: Rushing the Chacha
The word that comes to mind when one looks closely at the effort to gather signatures in the barangays in support of Charter change (Chacha) is “rushed.”
That applies not only to the seemingly haphazard manner the attempt to use people’s initiative for Chacha was conducted over the weekend but also the entire effort to amend/revise the Constitution at this stage.
Unfortunately for those behind those barangay assemblies, the word “rushed” has no place in a move that would determine the future direction of this country.
Nobody’s initiative?
Critics of the holding of the synchronized barangay assemblies labeled the effort not as a “people’s initiative” but a “politician’s initiative,” considering that the activity did not originate from the villages but, obviously, from politicians.
But in the days before the holding of the assemblies, the activity more had the look of a “nobody’s initiative” because of the washing of hands of its perceived sponsors.
Even the Department of Interior and Local Government, which pushed for the holding of the assemblies, masked the activity’s real intention by distributing an agenda that hid the Cha-cha issue in the “current issues and concerns” topic—last in the list.
It is not, therefore, surprising that majority of those who joined the barangay assemblies were either clueless about the gatherings’ real intention or only knew little about the topic to be able to come up with an informed decision.
Selfish intentions
There is no need, however, for critics of the use of the people’s initiative to change the Constitution to go ballistic over the conduct of the barangay assemblies considering the legal and other hurdles lying on the way to the scheme’s completion.
Besides, it is good that those pushing for Chacha have laid down their cards this early, allowing the people to judge whether they are imbued with honest intention.
Constitutions are important documents and their amendments or revisions should only be done with the good of the public in mind, which means that these changes should be well thought of and carefully instituted.
The way those pushing for Chacha are doing their thing—mishandling the people’s initiative effort and rushing the amendment/revision process—would give credence to the worries they are advancing selfish and dubious interests.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (March 28, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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