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Saturday, April 08, 2006
Senator Gordon questions motive of proponents
It’s not so much a people’s initiative, but “an initiative of government officials that want to save themselves or extend their terms.”
So commented Sen. Richard Gordon, who spoke before the Liga ng Barangay Captains of Iloilo during the league’s 6th Provincial Convention at the Crown Regency Hotel in Lapu-Lapu City yesterday.
Gordon, who heads the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, said he does not support changing the Charter now.
“How many times have we changed our Charter? But still there are no changes in our lives, despite all the constitutional change. I told the President, I am willing (to support Charter change) but not now. Tapusin natin ang 2007 (Let’s wait until the end of 2007),” he said.
Gordon was not the only one who flew into town to discuss Charter amendments yesterday.
Proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution were also discussed in a forum of about 300 local union officials, organized by the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP).
Divided
“Given the divided political environment, it is imperative that workers are educated on the matters concerning the strong drive to amend the Constitution, particularly on provisions regarding the shift to a parliamentary system of government,” said ALU-TUCP president Democrito Mendoza.
One of the speakers, lawyer Raul Lambino of the Consultative Commission that drafted recommendations for amendments, told radio dyLA that they already gathered around 8.2 million signatures from voters who want the Constitution amended.
That figure, Lambino pointed out, goes beyond the 12 percent of voters required by law.
In Cebu, Lambino said, they got more than 12 percent in every legislative district, although only three percent per district is required. He attributed this to the support of some Cebu businessmen and Reps. Raul del Mar and Antonio Cuenco.
For Senator Gordon, however, change must start from the bottom and not from the top, and he encouraged the barangay captains to “take the cudgels and say, `I will change the community’.”
Turncoats
Gordon is planning to sponsor a bill that will stop politicians from frequent switching of parties or turncoatism.
Without a strong party system, the government is not efficient, especially in passing bills, as it is very difficult to arrive at a consensus, he pointed out.
“Now, you have to convince each senator or congressman to vote for your bill. If there are only two parties, it’s easier to divide the house and vote. Before we create a Parliament, there must be a party system,” he added.
At the ALU forum, Jojie Ilagan Bian, another Concom member, assured the union leaders that all the proposed changes are for the good of the Filipino people.
Lawyer Cecilio Seno, an ALU official who is also a member of the Concom, said: “Organized labor should take part in the debate. It is our mandate as representatives of the workers to espouse the concerns of labor in this debate.” (MBG/EOB)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 8, 2006 issue)
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