New group begins campaign vs Cha-cha

A new group has emerged to launch a nationwide campaign against the proposal of the presidential consultative commission (con-com) to extend the terms of all elected officials and push for the conversion of Congress into a constituent assembly (con-ass) to introduce amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

The Citizens for Con-Com (C4CC) slammed the proposal to scrap the 2007 midterm elections saying the extension of terms of all elected officials "is indecent, self-serving and disgusting."

"How would one interpret the proposal other than a measure to buy the votes of incumbent mayors, governors, and especially the senators to support Charter change through constituent assembly?" the group’s spokesman Soc Branzuela said.

On the other hand, former con-com commissioner Gerardo Espina said the reaction was to be expected.

Espina, who was the main author of the proposal to extend the term limits of elected officials, explained the move was for a smooth transition of power under the parliamentary system.

He said the reaction of some groups, including the C4CC, is expected since those who are against the proposal will be deprived of their ambition to run and be elected in 2007.

In a statement, the former Biliran governor stressed his proposal was adopted by the con-com in an effort to spare the government of costly political exercises in 2007.

Aside from the elections for congressmen and 12 senators, the political exercise will also include grassroots posts at the barangay level.

"These will be very costly, divisive activities, hence the proposal for no 2007 election and (to) have instead fewer synchronized elections starting 2010," Espina said.

The C4CC is a federation of organizations pushing for holding a constitutional convention (con-con) to bring about changes in the Constitution.

The group also slammed the proposal to abolish the Senate and the House of Representatives and transform Congress into an all-powerful unicameral Parliament to centralize the power of district representations.

They criticized the proposal to "automatically" include lawmakers in the formation of the new parliament.

As this developed, the main proponent of Charter change in the House of Representatives also rejected attempts to "automatically" include one third of the present members of the Cabinet and 30 other technocrats and key advisers of President Arroyo in the proposed parliament.

"Everyone must go through the constitutional process," Cagayan de Oro Rep. Constantino Jaraula said.

"Everyone must pass through (the process) and have a sovereign mandate," he said.

Jaraula made the objection in the wake of criticisms on the proposal to cancel the 2007 midterm elections, which critics say would illegally extend the terms of elected officials.

Even the 55-man con-com was divided over the issue. A minority group of con-com members charged that lifting the term limits and including the concerned officials in the new parliament would make them "illegitimate members."

"Any member of Congress who stays and becomes a member of the Parliament without the benefit of an election can be considered an illegitimate member of the parliament," a report from the group of dissenting con-com members stated.

Con-com member Noel Cariño proposed a clean start with no term extension of elected officials under the new parliament.

"The President does not need this controversy. By postponing the (2007) elections, the proponents of no-el (no election) are attracting controversy that the President does not need at this point. They just want to ride on her security of tenure," the former Pasig lawmaker said.

Jaraula, however, said it would be "unfair" for anybody to discard outright the recommendations offered by the con-com, saying they still have to convene in January to study the report.

The Mindanao lawmaker said the "no elections" proposal is "nothing spectacular."

Jaraula said he would be introducing the report to committee members at the resumption of session of the House next month.

Jaraula expressed optimism that their counterparts in the Senate would ultimately favor the proposal to shift to a unicameral system.

"We are positive on that. Senators are nationalistic... if not even more than the members of the House are. We called for the need of nationalism and patriotism in this effort for constitutional restructuring," Jaraula said. — With Delon Porcalla