Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Malacañang sets deadline for Constituent Assembly
MANILA -- A Palace official said Tuesday that government would abandon moves to amend the Constitution and start preparing for the 2007 elections if Congress fails to convene a Constituent Assembly before the year ends.
Presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio said two other conditions that they wanted met before December or they would abandon Charter change efforts would be the filing of a petition for plebiscite before the Commission on Elections by Cons-Ass proponents and the Supreme Court (SC) not stopping the move.
"If by the time they have gone into recess and those conditions are not met, at the latest by the end of December, which is practically the same as the time for the adjournment for the Christmas break, then we will have to go into a more open explicit formal and all-out preparations for the 2007 elections," said Claudio when interviewed after the Legislative-Executive Development and Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting on Tuesday.
Congress officially adjourns on December 23 but sessions end on December 20.
"I'm afraid it cannot go beyond that (date). It would be criminally irresponsible on the part of the administration party not to prepare for the 2007 elections if the prospect of Charter change remains undecided or in limbo," Claudio said.
He said it would be "suicidal" for the administration not to set a threshold and not to prepare for the senatorial elections if the Charter change drive is not yet ready by the end of December.
About six members of the Cabinet are senator-material and they are already being sounded off, he said, adding that the opposition has been baiting the administration to reveal its line-up but Malacañang is not biting.
Claudio said no consensus on Charter change was achieved during the Ledac meeting but those who spoke agreed that the time to amend the Constitution is now.
Lawmakers who were present during the meeting were Senate President Manuel Villar Jr., Senate President pro tempore Juan Flavier, Senators Francisco Pangilinan, Juan Ponce Enrile, and Miriam Santiago, and more than 20 congressmen led by House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.
Claudio said there were no expectations of a consensus or real breakthrough because a Con-Ass is "a very thorny issue." He said the Ledac served as a forum for the congressmen to ventilate their positions on Con-Ass.
"There is, yes, an agreement and it was rather explicit among the members of the House and at least some of the members of the Senate who attended that the time to make a move, a definitive move to amend or revise the Constitution, is now and it was pointed out that one of the biggest hindrances and obstacles to the establishment of a final economic growth momentum and political stability in the country is the Constitution and there is need to make the appropriate moves to amend or revise the Constitution now," he said.
He said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo did not make any commitments or give any signal to her allies, although she was "intently listening to the arguments."
Also, according to Claudio, there was "manifest unanimity" among members of the House and Enrile on the need for a Con-Ass and there was no dissention among the other senators. He said the congressmen tried to convey to the senators that they are not out to abolish the Senate.
He said there was a proposal to simplify the proposed amendments in the Charter into a simple amendment that provides for the shift from presidential bicameral form of government to parliamentary unicameral.
Unfortunately, Claudio said the lights went out in the Palace when discussions became more intense.
He said Villar did not speak except to move for the adjournment of the Ledac meeting and to say that there is a need for a "better and stronger marketing job on calls for amending the Constitution through Con-Ass."
It was clear from the congressmen's tone that they will push through with the Con-Ass, said Claudio. "They (congressmen) were very passionate about the tone of their argumentation that they will proceed with Charter change through Con-Ass believing as they do, convinced as they are about the righteousness of the path they are taking and the constitutionality and interpretation on the matter of the participation of all members of Congress or either or both chambers of Congress," he said.
Presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor said five senators -- Villar, Enrile, Santiago, Ralph Recto and Edgardo Angara -- back efforts to amend the Charter via a Con-Ass.
However, Defensor admitted that Malacañang needs the votes of seven more senators to pass the resolution for a Con-Ass in the Senate. (JMR/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pangasinan. (November 8, 2006 issue)
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