House leader says Cha-cha would untangle political gridlock

A ranking administration lawmaker said the people’s initiative being promoted by several groups is a drastic move designed to overhaul the political system and end the gridlock between the Senate and the House of Representatives.

"Just like the proverbial sword of Alexander the Great, the people’s initiative will untangle all the political gridlock that is blocking the progress of the country," Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said.

Barbers stressed before the weekly Balitaan sa Rembrandt Hotel forum in Quezon City that the political situation was getting desperate.

And, he said, in an attempt to break the perennial gridlock between lawmakers in both legislative chambers in Congress, the people themselves took the initiative to push for amendments to the Constitution to bring about a shift to a unicameral and parliamentary form of government.

"Under the parliamentary system the so-called checks and balances between the two chambers of Congress will no longer exist so the legislative mill will grind effectively," Barbers said.

A member of the Charter Change Advocacy Commission (AdCom) also said a shift to a parliamentary form of government would enable swifter passage of urgent laws.

"There is an overwhelming need for change. We must push for a parliamentary system so we can craft important bills such as the Anti-Terror bill," AdCom Commissioner Romela Bengzon said.

Bengzon said most countries in the world have adopted the parliamentary system because it immediately addresses the needs of the people in terms of legislation.

Following last Monday’s bombing attack in Jolo, Bengzon claimed the incident highlighted the pressing need for the enactment of the anti-terror law still pending in Congress.

"Under a parliament system, bills such as the Anti-Terror bill can be passed in a matter of days. We cannot have the important legislation that we need now because of the structure that we have," she stressed.

Bengzon also lashed out at the opposition for attacking the people’s initiative, pointing out the method is enshrined in the Constitution.

"Why is the opposition afraid of the people’s initiative? Why are they so afraid of the wish of the people?" she said.

Barbers, on the other hand, said a majority of congressmen are fully supportive of the people’s initiative move which, so far, has already gathered more than four million signatures across the country.

Barbers said the people’s initiative is a parallel move to that being pursued by members of the House of Representatives, who have gathered 195 signatures agreeing to convene Congress into a constituent assembly to amend the 1987 Constitution.

"Either way, people’s initiative or constituent assembly, the move to amend the Charter is full steam ahead," he said.

Barbers said the sole purpose of the people’s initiative is to ask the people through a referendum whether they favor a shift to the parliamentary form of government.

He explained the interim parliament would be composed of the present members of the Senate and the House and elections of the new members of parliament would likely be held next year.

"We are not directly involved with the people’s initiative. Our role is simply to inform our constituents of the issues and if they agree or reject the proposal, then it’s their decision that will prevail," Barbers said.

Barbers said the proposal is to adopt a French-style parliamentary system by installing a Prime Minister as the head of government with the President as the titular head of State.

Barbers said he is not certain if President Arroyo would automatically become Prime Minister under the new political set-up but stressed the decision would be made by members of the new parliament.

Bengzon, meanwhile, expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will reverse its ruling on the issue of pursuing a people’s initiative.

In 1997, the High Tribunal thumbed down a people’s initiative as a means to amend the Constitution in the absence of an enabling law.

Two Supreme Court justices, however, expressed dissenting opinions. The two were senior Justices Reynato Puno and now Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban. — Perseus Echeminada, Mike Frialde