Tuesday, August 19, 2008 Malilong: Ulterior motive By Frank Malilong The Other Side
WE HAVE had four Presidents since the ratification of the 1987 Constitution. Cory Aquino, under whose watch the Charter was crafted by a Constitutional Commission and approved by the people in a plebiscite, did not attempt to amend it. Fidel Ramos did while Erap Estrada never had the chance. Gloria Arroyo, on the other hand, will probably be remembered by, among many others, her seeming obsession with Charter Change since day one of her two terms.
That does not necessarily speak ill of her presidency. The Constitution, we’ve been repeatedly told since Pol Sci 101, is permanent but only in the sense that it is impermeable to “passing fancies, temporary passions or occasional infatuations with ideas or personalities.” Otherwise, it is open to change in order to meet or adjust to the needs of the times.
Ramos’ supporters were not coy about their motive for Charter Change. They wanted the term limit lifted so that their boss, whom they obviously looked up to as the Messiah, could continue to be captain of the ship beyond six years until such time that it is safely docked in the Promised Land.
The nation, however, rose as one in protest against the travesty and, with the help of a sympathetic Supreme Court, drove the pro-Cha Cha forces to beat a hasty retreat.
A shift to federalism isn’t or at least doesn’t appear to be a passing fancy. Majority of the senators support it while in the House, where she always gets what she wants anyway, the sentiment towards a shift in the form of government can only be described as overwhelming.
There remains one formidable stumbling block though and it has something to do with the President’s motive in asking that the Constitution be amended. Is it really federalism that she wants or is it merely a ploy to allow her to stay in power beyond 2010?
Mrs. Arroyo has declared that she will obey the Constitution and step down at noon of June 30, 2010. Now, Sen. Richard Gordon is asking her to categorically declare that even if the Constitution is amended and the federal system is adopted, she will not seek a term extension.
In other times when honor was a currency, Gordon’s demand would have insulted a President. When your head of state gives his word, you do not only assume, you accept that he will keep it.
Sadly, we don’t take a President’s word at face value anymore. Even more sadly, this distrust will mostly likely scuttle our experiment with the federal system before we could even read the opening chapter on how the formula works. What a pity.
