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Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Palace, allies eye parliamentary polls in November
MANILA -- Administration congressmen are targeting parliamentary elections in November next year instead of the regular May 2007 senatorial and local elections, Presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio said Tuesday.
Claudio said "there's a growing consensus to do it in November" following the second part of he three-part administration caucus held in Malacañang Monday night.
Sun.Star Network Online round-by-round coverage of the Pacquiao-Morales Sunday fight here
The third group of administration congressmen was expected to have met in the Palace late Tuesday night. He said there might be a need for a fourth group meeting.
The caucuses are being chaired by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but Claudio said the President preferred to leave the details and mechanics to Congress and just reiterated her support for the convening of a Constituent Assembly.
Claudio said parliamentary elections in November "may be acceptable to the public and practical also" so that there would be at least six months of interval between the plebiscite and the elections.
He said this would give the new interim parliament time to work, sufficient time to institute automation in the election process, and to "obviate any confusion regarding the senators who might not want to spend and might want to await the results of the plebiscite."
Claudio said a technical working group chaired by Cagayan de Oro City Representative Constantino Jaraula and made up of representatives from each political party would submit by Wednesday the final copy of the "simplified document" that would contain the proposed constitutional amendment to shift to a unicameral parliamentary system.
He said the amendment would also contain the definition of the membership of the parliament, which is the members of parliament (MPs) who are elected by district, the ones elected by region (which is where the senators could run), and the party-list MPs.
Claudio said he is hoping that the senators would participate once they see the proposed amendments, which contained the enticement of being able to run for regional MP. He said the House already has 195 signatures backing the move.
He said once the report of the technical committee is completed, it will be approved by a general caucus of House members so that there will be "smooth sailing" of the approval of the amendments.
House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said there will be 34 seats for regional MPs instead of just 24. He said El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde is endorsing the idea.
Claudio said the "transparent" way by which the amendments will be put forth will hopefully quash accusations of no-election.
"Walang (No) ambush, booby traps, the purpose is mainly for the administration to put a reasonable gap between the two major electoral activities to come, to allow time for automation. We will be transparent. We will set the date of the election. Ito nga transparent nga e (This is even transparent) to ensure that no surprises will be sprung upon them. Ngayon pa lang (Right now) it would provide political legal moral basis to (support Con-ass)," he said.
He said there are "back-channel efforts" in order to "confront the objections or actions to be taken by the opposition."
He said the "ideal" is to have a plebiscite on constitutional change before February 12, the deadline for he filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for senators.
Presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor said the holding of the plebiscite should be rushed "if we don't do that there will be no more chance for elections."
At the Senate, Senator Ralph Recto said it's not the size that matters but the substance, referring to the reported drafting of a "stripped down" version of Charter amendments which congressmen presented to President Arroyo in Malacañang Monday night.
He said the "compression of proposed amendments into two pages does not lessen the gravity of the changes being sought, or to make them palatable."
Senators have maintained that while they are open to the Constituent Assembly proposal of the House of Representatives, it should be based on a separate three-fourths majority vote by the House and Senate and not on a joint voting as proposed by Charter change advocates in the House.
"The first issue to be resolved is whether we vote separately or not," said Senator Franklin Drilon.
Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan said the proposal should be discussed after the May 2007 elections. "We are open to discuss the Constituent Assembly proposal but only after the May 2007 elections when members of Congress have secured a fresh mandate from the electorate on a platform of Charter change, among others," Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan also said there is not enough time before the May 2007 elections to have an intelligent and objective public debate on Charter change.
Malacañang is hopeful that the two chambers of Congress would be able to break the stalemate over the mode of amending the Constitution through "sincere dialog."
Senate President Manuel Villar, meanwhile, said while he is open to a dialogue between the Senate and the House, he stressed that the will of the people must be respected. He cited a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that showed that Charter change is not supported by 64 percent of the people. (JMR/CPB/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (November 29, 2006 issue)
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