Whatever, I am certain that the ruling regime of Marcos Jr. is on its way to consolidating itself and its Chief Executive and key officials are bent to extend their term in power, either presidential-parliamentary, or federal-parliamentary system, provided the power is centralized, on and beyond 2028.
We are “bobo” if we haven’t read between the lines. Marcos Jr. campaigned under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, whose platform is for federal state. I believe that Rep. Martin Romualdez was put in place to ensure he can wield the entire House for the Marcos Jr. agenda.
The direction has been laid down. They started rumbling the way. Some have read it, most not.
The government has retreated on its implementation of PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP) after it sees a growing mass movement against it, exposing not only its bad effects, but the real motivation of the program – privatization of the transport industry into the hands of big business monopoly capitalists. They failed to deceive the mass movement.
In the case of our Constitution, the real root of the on-going squabbles in the legislative bicameral body, House and Senate, is not simply on amending certain economic provisions especially foreign ownership of our resources and industries, and removal or blurring of the provisions on the bill of rights.
It is just a stepping stone to revising the law of the land, and pave the way to the extension of power of the President, replacing the presidential-bicameral legislative body, with parliamentary system, where the President and a Prime Minister will rule the parliamentary body.
The Senate quickly smelled this foul odor, that’s why, for the first time, they stood unanimously, to oppose the deceptive people’s initiative, they believed to be masterminded by the President and his cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The 24 senators know very well that they will be wiped out if charter change is pushed successfully. They will lose all the political and economic investments they have in building their own constituency and nurturing their respective empires.
Of course, some may be ingratiated to the ruling clique. But others will certainly be dismantled.
Now they have learned the clue. Without the decisive hand of the President and his ruling political clique, backed by military generals, the initiatives to amend or revise the Constitution will not be successful.
Only Marcos Sr. in 1973 under martial law and dictatorial regime was able to revised the Constitution via constitutional assembly, and Corazon Aquino under so-called revolutionary government produced a 1987 Constitution setting up a presidential-bicameral system.
Marcos Jr. and his ruling clique is repeating the scenario, and they ways and timeline are laid down programmatically.
Who can stop them? Not the Senate, whose history is fraught with expediency. Not the House, except the Makabayan bloc, who like the Senate, can easily dance with the Malacanang music for the same expediency.
Only a broad and vibrant democratic movement led by basic sectors can frustrate the Cha Cha and repeat the 1978 protests and the 1986 Edsa.
Indeed, dangerous and challenging period we are in now.*