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Sunday, January 08, 2006
Governors to conduct 'People's Initiative' to amend Charter
MANILA -- Governors nationwide will launch a "People's Initiative" in February to set in motion the Charter change, which is allowed under the 1986 Philippine Constitution.
Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone, spokesman of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (Ulap), confirmed this during Saturday's "Kapihan sa Sulo" forum where he said local officials are targeting to commence the move possibly this February.
The group, Evardone said, decided on the procedure as a third option of amending the charter.
Evardone said the "People's Initiative" is similar to People's Initiative for Reform, Modernization, and Action (Pirma) done in 1996, which was rejected by the Supreme Court (SC) because the Constitutional provision calling for it had no implementing rules and regulations (IRR).
But this time, Congress has drafted the IRR and the dissenters against the move in the high tribunal have already retired, Evardone added.
Evardone said under the "People's Initiative", approval of Charter amendments should be made by at least five million or 12 percent of the total voting population with three percent in every congressional district. The signatures will be submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for verification.
Evardone said local government units (LGUs) want basic changes in the Charter such as a shift to the parliamentary form of government from the current presidential system.
Even if the parliamentary system is adapted, however, he will propose that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo be allowed to remain in office until 2010 when her term lapses.
He said by April and May, Ulap plans to start a campaign for a plebiscite by June on proposed revisions in the country's Charter.
"A new Constitution can be in place by July this year if results of the plebiscite prove positive," he noted.
People's initiative is one of three options by which the Constitution allows Charter change. The others are convening of either a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) or Constituent Assembly (Con-As).
In both options, delegates convene, discuss and agree on changes to be made in the Constitution.
Evardone said, however, that Charter change can be effected faster with people's initiative.
Ulap was also the group that proposed the idea of no election (No-el), which was later, carried by the members of the Consultative Commission (Concom), the group tasked by Arroyo to study the Charter amendment.
Gil Abarico, one of the commissioners, said it was Ulap who first passed a resolution for a "no election" in 2007 in exchange of their support for Charter change.
Abarico said some members of the ConCom were invited by Ulap to attend their general assembly late last year with the inclusion of No-el scenario in their proposal.
"It was an indecent proposal dahil if they are really for Charter change they should not demand for an extension of their term," Abarico said.(JPM with Ben Tesiorna of Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(January 8, 2006 issue)
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