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Monday, December 22, 2008
Congress won't stop Cha-cha debates
MANILA -- Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr. said Sunday the strong opposition of Catholic bishops to Charter change (Cha-cha) will not stop Congress from pursuing public debates on various proposals to amend the 1987 Constitution.
"We can't stop a public and open debate on Charter change as the bishops have asked us to do so," he said.
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Nograles was reacting to Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz who said politicians keep silent when the church engages in politics but take strong exception once they become the target of criticisms.
Cruz's statement was also in reaction to the Speaker's comment that the church is in the best position to take sides on the issue of Cha-cha.
Nograles, however, explained that he never meant to say that prelates had no right to express their views and opinions on various national issues like Cha-cha.
"My statements were clear. Do not gag or prevent anyone from talking for Charter change as we too have free speech and can publicly disagree with the bishop's stand on that issue," he said.
Nograles's House Resolution 737 seeks to amend the Constitution to allow foreigners to own alienable public and private lands.
The House of Representatives has already wrapped up deliberations on various measures that seek to amend the 1987 Constitution.
The committee on constitutional amendments chaired by La Union Representative Victor Ortega will continue tackling the Nograles resolution on January 27, 2009.
The Ortega panel also postponed the debates on which mode will be adopted to carry out the amendments, especially since the campaign of Camarines Sur Representative Luis Villafuerte to convene Congress into a Constituent Assembly (Con-ass) is strongly opposed by senators.
Ortega said he would use the Christmas break to informally consult Senator Francis Escudero, his counterpart in the Senate.
Villafuerte's resolution, which calls for Congress to convene as a Con-ass to amend the Charter, has yet to be referred to Ortega's committee. It has reportedly gathered 167 signatures. (WV/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (December 22, 2008 issue)
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