Youth group signs up for Cha-cha

Youth participation in the ongoing signature campaign to amend the Constitution has gained more momentum as 150 young leaders from different non-government and people’s organizations nationwide reiterated their support to the Sigaw ng Bayan Movement.

Representatives of groups comprising the Youth Empowerment and Solidarity (YES) responded optimistically on people’s initiative after attending a seminar on the issue.

The seminar was conducted by the Advocacy Commission on Constitutional Amendments (Adcom) and the Sigaw ng Bayan movement in Quezon City recently.

Sigaw ng Bayan spokesman lawyer Raul Lambino said yesterday that the great number of youth leaders who participated on the activity indicates the increasing public interest of the young generation on the issue, particularly, the proposed shift from a presidential to a parliamentary form of government.

Among the organizations in the YES coalition are the Young Christian Socialist of the Philippines, Young Centrist Democrats Union, Save Mother Earth Youth Movement, Kabataang Magtataguyod ng Kaunlaran, Samahang Ilocano and Student Alliance for Democracy.

"Our decaying presidential system pushes the ordinary citizens to seek an alternative long-term solution to lingering problems of the society brought by the continuous political instability of this nation," Lambino said.

Records from the National Youth Commission showed that 57 percent of licensed NGOs cater to children and youth groups.

It also showed that as of 2004, youths make up almost 28 percent or a total of 23.2 million out of the 82.7 million Philippine population. Sixty-three percent of youths are between 20-29 years of age.

The data noted that a huge segment of the voting population would come from the new registered voters and those who would be practicing their voting rights for the second or third time.

The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) and SBM have so far gathered 8.2 million signatures for the people’s initiative. This figure is double the required number of signatures needed to call for a plebiscite.

Meanwhile, lawyer Mans Tumanda, one of the lead convenors of YES and also from Sigaw ng Bayan, reiterated that amendments to the Constitution will be the most suitable and constitutional solution to resolving the political crisis gripping the country.

Tumanda added that the people’s initiative is legal and constitutional because it is stated in the nation’s charter and the proposed amendments will only affect one subject matter.

As this developed, ULAP fanned out across the opposition’s stronghold in Iloilo as part of its information campaign in the Visayas.

AdCom adviser Jose Abueva and Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas, known supporter of Senate President Franklin Drilon both welcomed ULAP’s sorties.

Both Abueva and Tupas hailed the holding of the ULAP Sa TOP (Tamang Oras at Panahon) consultative meeting attended by 130 Ilonggo local leaders and the militant Bayan at the provincial capitol.

Most of those who attended the consultative meeting later threw their support behind moves to shift to a parliamentary system of government.

"This forum will help our leaders and our people better understand the issue," said Tupas in a warmly welcoming Abueva and the ULAP team during the Tuesday conference.

"Even if we disagree… but for as long as we have a dialogue, sometimes we will agree," Tupas told the ULAP team.

Tupas is identified with the Liberal Party-wing led by Drilon and convenor of a newly-formed coalition opposing the people’ initiative.

At the end of the forum, participants gave their full backing ot the people’s initiative and the legal backing that may ensue in the Supreme Court.

Critics point out that there no law yet enabling a people’s initiative.

In Negros Occidental, Allan Zulueta, National President of the Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines, in a forum held at the provincial capitol in Bacolod City, also obtained the backing of some 200 local officials and NGOs representatives to amend the Constitution.

In Leyte, about 120 provincial officials led by Gov. Rosette Lerias and Vice Gov. Miguel Maano, similarly expressed support for the people’s initiative, in a conference in Maasin City.

In Siquijor, 38 local officials and private sector representatives from the province’s six municipalities also joined the campaign, while in Guimaras island, some 70 mayors, vice mayors, councilors and NGO officers also pledged full backing.

Abueva voiced optimism that public support for the people’s initiative may prompt the Supreme Court to "rethink its doctrine" on the issue.

He noted that Sigaw ng Bayan has already gathered enough signatures to satisfy the constitutional requirement for a people’s initiative.