Palace to Senate: Follow Miriam’s selfless stand on Cha-cha

Malacañang called on Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s Senate colleagues to follow her "selflessness" by supporting Charter change (Cha-cha), particularly moves to shift to a parliamentary form of government, even if this would mean the abolition of the chamber.

At the House of Representatives, an elated Speaker Jose de Venecia described Santiago’s stand as a "significant breakthrough."

Santiago was part of the delegation that accompanied President Arroyo on a four-day state visit to Saudi Arabia and she has since become vocal in her support of Charter change after returning to the country Thursday.

"Santiago’s support for constitutional amendments is a refreshing gust of wind that will surely boost the sails of efforts to effect genuine political and economic reforms," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.

He said Malacañang hopes "the rest of the Senate will follow Santiago’s selfless example. The consensus is very clear. The country needs an amended Constitution that would remove the poisoned political atmosphere that for a long time has held hostage our national development."

Bunye said any statement of support for Cha-cha coming from an institution that would be most affected by the shift to a parliamentary system of government is certainly a major development.

Santiago has boldly predicted there might be no Senate presidency to speak of when Congress resumes its next regular session in July if the Supreme Court upholds the House’s bid to amend the Constitution.

There has been speculation as to whether Senate President Franklin Drilon, an outspoken critic of President Arroyo, will retain his post once Congress returns from its recess.

"There will be no more Senate by July," Santiago said in a statement. "Between May 15 when the present session resumes, and July 24 when a new regular session begins, the Supreme Court will have enough time to hear and decide a test case on the House resolution to convene a constituent assembly."

Congressmen allied with the Arroyo administration want Congress to sit as a constituent assembly and amend the Charter to allow the country to adopt a parliamentary form of government.

Citing a provision in the Constitution, they contend that the House may sit as a constituent assembly if the House and Senate — voting as one body — approve the resolution with a three-fourths vote.

Senators opposed to the bid disagree with the House’s interpretation of the constitutional provision, saying the two chambers must vote separately. The Supreme Court has yet to express its view on the issue.

The House resolution also backs a people’s initiative being pushed by Malacañang allies to amend the Constitution and change the system of government from presidential to parliamentary.

Santiago has backtracked from her earlier stand against the people’s initiative. She opposed a similar people’s initiative in the past on grounds that there was no existing enabling law for it.

She announced last Thursday that she favored both the signature-gathering campaign and the convening of a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution.

Santiago even went a step further, saying she would favor the abolition of the upper chamber.

"If the court rules that it would be legal for Congress to vote together instead of separately, then some of us administration senators will participate in the constituent assembly," she said.

Meanwhile, De Venecia welcomed Santiago’s statement, saying that with this "significant breakthrough," the country "is a step closer to amending the Charter and changing the form of government that will launch the country into a new era of governance and economic development."

De Venecia likewise hailed the "quiet and constructive efforts" of El Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde to reconcile the opposing views of the two houses of Congress on the best mode of Charter change.

De Venecia issued the statement when he addressed the annual meeting of the Philippine Bar Association. He said the stand taken by Santiago and Velarde was in line with that of the House majority pushing for a constituent assembly to introduce "seven strategic amendments" to the Charter.

De Venecia, who has been a proponent of Charter change since the early 1990s, said he has asked Cagayan de Oro Rep. Constantino Jaraula, chairman of the House committee on constitutional amendments, to "expedite action" on a resolution calling for the two chambers to convene into a constituent assembly.