Angara: Review of gov’t form could be inevitable with Cha-cha

Changing the economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution will make inevitable a review of the political structure in the Charter, Sen. Edgardo Angara said yesterday.

While Malacañang may consider Charter change (Cha-cha) as not among the priorities of the Aquino administration, the President should at least be open to the proposal and allow debates rather than block any moves aimed at revisiting the Constitution, he added.

Angara said on radio he supported the initiatives of the leaders of Congress to take up Cha-cha at this time, even stressing the review of the political provisions is as equally important as the proposed amendments in the economic provisions.

“Economic provisions spring from the political structure,” he said.

President Aquino had said that he may consider amending the Constitution but only covering the economic provisions in the Charter, specifically limits on foreign ownership among certain industries. Angara pointed out that the current structure of government in the country was highly centralized and bureaucratic as there remained an uneven distribution of power and revenue between the central government and the local government.

“Centralized, to the extent that the farm-to-market road, infrastructure projects remain to be on approval of the government, DPWH (Depatment of Public Works and Highways), DBM (Department of Budget and Management,” he said.

The distribution of power is tilted in favor of the cental government that is why the local executives are practically rendered paralyzed and inutile, Angara said.

While there are some local executives who have excelled and continue to prove exemplary performance, there remains a huge percentage of lamentable political system.

“We have bad politics and therefore bad politicians and more corruption,” he said.

Angara said it was high time that the government re-thought its position on maintaining the current structure, even only for purposes of exploring the possibility of changes in government system.

“In this age of the Internet, we have information readily available, the best practices of other countries can be obtained in real time and similarly those practices that works best in our peculiar culture and geopraphy and history,” he added.

“Why should we shirk from reviewing the change of government from presidential to parliamentary (system) if we believe that a certain system is suitable for the time? Why should we apply ideas with a straight jacket?,” Angara queried.
Setting an agenda for the Cha-cha proposed by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte was a must, Angara said, if only to assure the public that lawmakers are not out to pursue or secure self-interest.
“That should serve as a contract with the people.

No one should not dare go around it or beyond it,” he said.

Angara insisted on the issue of including the political provions on the agenda at least in deliberating the issue at the onset, for them to agree on what he called as one constitutional reform agenda. “Why not? I think that’s the most sensible thing to do.”

Of the three recognized modes of amending the Constitution, via a constituent assembly, constitutional convention or the manner being pushed by Enrile and Belmonte where the two Chambers can take up amendments like in their ordinary course of law-making process, it is the latter that Angara supported.

“I think it’s the least expensive and the most expeditious,” he said, “besides, anything that will be approved by us will be subject to a plebiscite.”

The senator also believed that any moves to amend the 1987 Constitution should be carried out while President Aquino was in power. “This is the perfect opportunity for a favorable constitutional change because we have a president who is truly not interested in extending his term,” he said, adding that Cha-cha proposals have been rejected in the past because the proponents merely wanted to extend their terms.

But now, according to Angara, the country can be assured that Aquino had no interest in staying in power for more than one term.

While some legislators are pushing for Cha-cha to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution, Angara, a former Senate president, urged Congress to go beyond economic reforms and consider changing the political structure.

Members of the House of Representatives, nevertheless, said the move to amend the Constitution could only be possible with the blessing of Aquino.

Misamis Occidental Rep. Loreto Ocampos, chairman of the House committee on constitutional amendments, said Aquino could save the day for charter change if he certify the move as urgent.

“Malacanang should certify that Cha-cha as an urgent bill. It’s position is not clear. Only a smoke signal, I need a clear marching order from them,” said Ocampos.

“We have no material time anymore for Cha-cha. The filing of candidates starts on October one.

After that, everybody will be in the campaign mode. To raise Cha-cha now rises suspicion that term extensions of incumbent officials is the hidden agenda,” he said.

But Malacanang insisted that the President was against Cha-cha. Belmonte and Enrile said they wanted to push charter change to amend economic provisisons and provisions on defense spending in the light of China’s continued intrusions.

“When I talk about Cha-cha, I am only talking of [changing] the economic provisions because it is not difficult and complicated. We will look into it,” said Belmonte.

Ako-Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe and Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino agreed that Cha-cha was a tall order and doing it is not easy as an impeachment case.

“History has proven that Cha-cha is always a very divisive issue and we cannot afford to sow discord again in our political system after an emotionally draining impeachment process.

Priority bills will again take a back seat as we again bicker on what to do with the economic provisions of our constitutional, besides, we can never have an objective discussions on Cha-cha in an election year as politicians will always be prone to grandstanding in aid of re-election,” said Batocabe.

Antonino, president of the National Unity Party (NUP), said he would support President Aquino’s position against charter change.

“I support the President that [pushing Cha-cha] may be distracting economic growth at this time, maybe after 2013, may be that is the right time.” Antonino said.

However, Batocabe added that “if the House and Senate can immediately reach a consensus on what to amend and what will be written, then Cha-cha will have no problem, it will then be submitted to our people for approval. But then, such scenario is more ideal than real.”

Earlier, Ocampos said any attempt to push Cha-cha was an exercise in futility given the continued cold stance of President Aquino.

House Majority Leader Rep. Neptali “Boyet” Gonzales II said deliberations on Malacanang’s proposed P2.006-trillion national budget for 2013 and the next year’s midterm polls may affect Cha-cha’s chances of getting pushed successfully. -Gerry Baldo, Daily Tribune