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Cayetano, Bayan Muna see no real change in Cha-cha

“Same leaders, same problems”

BAGUIO CITY (Jan 19) — Both Senator Pia Cayetano and the chief of Staff of Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Teddy Casiño think that changing the form of government will not bring about any substantial change in the ordinary Filipino’s life.

Cayetano, who appeared during the Ugnayang Panglungsod weekly media briefing at the Catholic Renewal Center (CRC) at the Bishop’s residence here, said that she does not believe there could be any difference if the presidential form of government is changed into parliamentary as proposed by advocates of charter change (cha-cha).

Likewise, Partylister Teddy Casiño’s Chief-of-Staff Marco Palo, founding member of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Partido ng Bayan, and now Bayan Muna Partylist, said the main problem is structural in nature yet changing the form will never bring about any substantial change. Palo was guest speaker at a discussion on the Charter Change among Baguio-based militant organizations under Bayan.

“There should be no debate on the form of government, because the real problem here is unjust and inequitable distribution of wealth, Palo further said as he saw the cha-cha just like changing the coats and building a new house for the vultures and crocodiles in government.

Cayetano thinks that for as long as “we have the same people running the government, we will have the same problems”. She said that history has taught us the evils of a unicameral parliamentary government system under the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos ruled the country more than 20 years.

The senator said the senate and the lower house have to address more pressing problems, but she did not elaborate. “We will tackle one issue at a time,” she said.

According to Cayetano, the Philippine Senate convened the committee on constitutional amendments would look into the proposed cha-cha. The Senate and the House of Representatives have to vote on the issues about the government change from presidential to parliamentary, and from bicameral to unicameral.

“The senators will not sign their death certificate,” Palo said jestingly but seriously clarifying that the unicameral system will definitely ease out the senators. He revealed that three-fourths of the votes (195 votes of the 236 congressmen and 23 senators) is all that is needed to change the constitution.

Bracing against cha-cha

Palo urged the people to study the proposed changes in the Constitution before these are brought before the electorate in a proposed national plebiscite in March, according to the game plan of the pro-GMA camp. He clarified that Bayan may not necessarily defend the 1987 Constitution, but will definitely not allow an even worse replacement. He wants the people to realize that the proposed changes will only assure GMA of the presidency even beyond 2010.

He revealed that if the legislators could distort their interpretation of the Constitution, they would distort it to further their selfish interests.

“Babaliin muna nila ang mismong Constitution if the way to amend it is to break it,” he said. He noted that during a deliberation, the representatives of the lower house even adopted on January 11 a totally new proposal with all disrespect of the proposal discussed on December 7.

Palo invites everyone to take a closer look at the two cha-cha versions, the house committee on constitutional amendments version, and the consultative committee version. As an example, he cited the Bill of Rights being replaced with a Bill of Responsibilities, which Palo found ridiculous in the consultative committee version.

In addition, the consultative committee version of the cha-cha gives GMA additional powers as both head of state and head of government, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines backed by a prime minister who would come from her Cabinet.

Bribing support for cha-cha

The proposal gathers support through bribery, according to Palo. It allows extension of terms of all elected public officials until 2010 aimed at influencing Senators whose terms end in 2007 influencing all members of the House of Representatives to pass the proposed Constitution as a Constituent Assembly and all local officials since their terms all end in 2007 to support in the ratification of proposed Constitution.

Bayan maintains that it seeks the support from the AFP Chief-of-Staff whose term was surreptitiously assured and lengthened under Art. XVIII Sec. 4. It also courts the support even of non-incumbent local politicians with the elimination of term limits, extension of terms to five (5) years under Art. XVII (A) Sec. 8, and the deletion of the rule against ‘Political Dynasty’ in the Constitution.

Meanwhile, GMA is hell-bent on getting what she wants in Cha-cha. “We really need it,” she told Nordis during a dinner with media in December. Her provincial tours are capped with promises of a better life for the masses dangling millions in pump-priming funds everywhere. Cha-cha is one of the five priorities of the Arroyo administration in 2006; the four being war on terrorism; energy development; environment protection; and infrastructure development. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS

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