Sigaw ng Bayan calls for Carpio’s resignation

Charter change advocate Sigaw ng Bayan called yesterday for the resignation of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and warned of massive street protests in the coming days to press for his ouster.

Sigaw secretary general Efren de Luna said they are pressing for the resignation of Carpio, author of the majority decision of the Supreme Court last Wednesday that junked the petition seeking to change the Constitution through a people’s initiative.

Sigaw spokesman Raul Lambino said they will file a motion for reconsideration of the ruling next week, after All Saints’ Day.

Lambino said they will seek a reversal of the decision, claiming they were not given the opportunity to be heard on the allegations against them over the irregular method of gathering more than six million signatures supporting the petition.

"Our initial study is very clear, that the High Court’s decision is unprecedented because it dwelled on the issues of facts and we were not given the opportunity to air our side and rebut the evidence presented," he said.

Lambino said the group was caught by surprise because the tribunal’s decision did not touch on the legal issues they raised and presented.

"This (decision) is a grand error, a gigantic mistake," he said.

Lambino said they would "resurrect" their efforts to push for political reforms and amend the Constitution.

De Luna told a separate news forum yesterday that their group was hurt by allegations raised by the SC on the irregularity of signature gathering.

"Hindi maayos ang pagsulat ng draft na decision na yung pumirma ay niloko lamang at hindi totoo kaya sumama ang loob ng taong bayan, yung six million na original na pumirma (The writing of the draft decision wasn’t right, that the signatories were misled. That’s why the six million signatories feel bad.")," he said.

De Luna said Sigaw is now in consultations with allied groups in the provinces that supported the petition.

De Luna warned they could easily fill up the streets of Metro Manila to show their support for political change.

Other groups that supported the petition include the Guardians International Inc. (GII).

Bishop Nilo Tayag, GII general secretary, pointed out the sweeping allegations made by the SC decision as written by Carpio.

"Justice Carpio had upheld the interests of elite groups instead of defending the millions of ordinary Filipinos who had wanted to exercise their constitutional right to take direct action in amending the Constitution," Tayag said.

Tayag said Carpio "does not deserve his exalted position as a member of the High Tribunal because he does not represent the interests of the people."

Joint petitioner Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) maintained no public funds were used in the effort of local officials to push for amendments in the Constitution.

"No partisan issues are involved also, any information campaign to promote public welfare justifies proper use of public welfare, that’s who we see it and that should be entitled to great respect as a managerial decision of local government chief executives," said ULAP spokesman and Catanduanes Gov. Leandro Verceles.

Lambino, for his part, expressed confidence they could get a reversal of the decision, noting the very close voting of the magistrates over the issue.

Lambino said there could be a reversal in the same way the SC did when it earlier declared the Mining Act was unconstitutional.

In an 8-7 vote, the High Court ruled that the people’s initiative as proposed by the ULAP and Sigaw ng Bayan lacked constitutional basis.

The court also ruled that shifting to a parliamentary system of government calls for a revision of the Charter, and "a people’s initiative may only amend, never revise, the Constitution."

In a 52-page decision written by Carpio, the SC said a draft of proposed Charter amendments must be presented to the people for an initiative.

Lambino insisted the people’s initiative is the only option left for Charter change since efforts for a constituent assembly spearheaded by allies at the House of Representatives will not prosper without the participation of the Senate.

Lambino, though, admitted they are racing against time but if the SC decision is reversed, a referendum might take place on Feb. 10 next year, or four days before the start of the campaign for local candidates. -With Perseus Echeminada, Cecille Suerte Felipe