Friday, November 24, 2006 House forms group to draft proposed Charter amendments
NOW that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gave the green light for the House of Representatives to make a final push on Charter change, members of the opposition have expressed fear that it might result in the railroading of the process.
This developed as the House leadership created a multi-party working group to finalize proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution by November 30.
This came up during the first of the three caucuses, which took place in Malacañang with President Arroyo and House Speaker Jose de Venecia presiding over the meeting.
The two other caucuses will be held in the next six days.
The multi-party working group was created when the President gave her nod to push Charter amendments one last time via Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass).
De Venecia was optimistic that before the Christmas break, they would be able to present to the public the reformed Constitution.
But the members of the opposition expressed doubt if the process would be fair and just, especially at a time when Malacañang and its allies in the Lower House seemed desperate to amend the Constitution.
House Deputy Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said the public would not accept this proposed Charter change if done illegally or railroaded.
In the case of the opposition, according to Cayetano, it would not question the matter before the Supreme Court (SC) as long as the process is done fairly.
"Process as important as results for as long as the House and the Senate vote separately and they get three-fourth votes and there is a fair plebiscite then we will not object or question it in the Supreme Court," Cayetano said.
"But expect people to not accept Charter change if it illegal and railroaded," he added.
For Muntinlupa City Representative Rufino Biazon, the efforts of Malacañang and its allies would not bear fruit at all since most of the members of the House are already preparing for the 2007 mid-term elections.
But he did not discount the possibility that railroading of Charter change might take place.
In the first caucus which was attended by 73 key coalition members and presided over by Arroyo and de Venecia, the President gave the go signal to push ahead with Charter reforms.
De Venecia said the working group has been tasked to finalize the "amendments or revisions" to the Charter on or before November 30, after which the document would be presented at a date still to be determined for approval by a three-fourths vote of all members of Congress.
The House leadership seemed determined to push a joint vote by the Senate and the House to amend the Constitution. They would continue to invoke Section 1 of Article 17 of the Constitution which provides that "any amendment to, or revision of, this Constitution may be proposed by the Congress upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members."
The three-fourth votes should be gained through a joint voting, the administration allies insisted.
De Venecia said the working group is composed by Representatives Constantino Jaraula of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), Gilbert Teodoro or the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), Luis Villafuerte of Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (Ulap), Raul Lambino of the coalition Sigaw ng Bayan. De Venecia said they are planning to include a senator but did not know yet whom they will appoint. (DBP/Sunnex)
