Joker calls on House to engage in ‘formal dialogues’ on Cha-cha

Sen. Joker Arroyo is calling on congressmen to explain in "formal dialogues’’ what they really intend to accomplish in pushing for Constitutional amendments.

"It makes good sense that we don’t close our minds on anything. There has to be an exchange of views. It would be false pride for a senator to say, not at all,’’ Arroyo said in an interview.

He stressed that despite the senators’ strong objection to the mode being pushed by the House in its Charter change efforts, no senator has actually closed the door on having the Constitution changed.

Arroyo lamented that the House leadership has not taken up the issue formally with the Senate and has instead opted to use "long-distance’’ communication through the media.

Arroyo said there is still a good working relationship between the two chambers, as their members regularly see each other during the Commission on Appointment hearings and when local bills are being tackled.

"There’s no bad blood but why is it that on charter change they won’t talk?’’ he asked.

Being the proponent of charter change, Arroyo said the House leadership must initiate the dialogue with the Senate.

He said that a good starting point would be for the House to pass a concurrent resolution calling on the two chambers of Congress to meet together in a constituent assembly.

He disputed Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.’s claim that the Senate had been invited repeatedly to join in the process.

"It’s not an invitation, they’re telling us what to do. It is not the right way to treat a co-equal branch,’’ Arroyo said.

Once the dialogues begin, Arroyo said the two chambers may start looking at specific provisions in the Constitution that need amendment.

"They want wholesale changes. Let’s do it piecemeal,’’ Arroyo said. "Democracy is in essence an exchange of views and so we should not close our minds."

Arroyo’s colleague Sen. Franklin Drilon had a less conciliatory stand on Charter change supporters’ persistence.

He said De Venecia could have as many signatures as he wanted to support charter change but this would not carry any weight without the participation of the Senate.

Drilon downplayed De Venecia’s claim that the House has 202 members who support amending the Constitution through a constituent assembly and that the entire process would be completed before the year ends.

In an interview over DWIZ, Drilon emphasized that the House must first pass a resolution that would pave the way for the convening of a constituent assembly and transmit this to the Senate for concurrence.

"Under the law, before a constituent assembly can convene, there has to be a resolution first. It is the law that should prevail and not a mere show of numbers,’’ he said.

The House expects the Senate to block any move to amend the Constitution and because of this, De Venecia and his allies have threatened to do it on their own.

While some senators have expressed willingness to join the House in a constituent assembly, Drilon said this would not have any bearing unless the entire Senate is involved.

Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago, Manuel Lapid and Ramon Revilla Jr. are open to joining a constituent assembly.

Drilon pointed out that senators have already agreed in a resolution that any amendment to the Constitution must be approved by the two chambers of Congress voting separately.

"Everyone is bound by the resolution. If they insist on joining the constituent assembly then it would be their individual decisions,’’ Drilon said, stressing that the three senators do not represent the Senate.

De Venecia, in the same radio program, said it is the senators’ duty as members of Congress to attend the constituent assembly.

"They should explain to the people. We are begging them, we are appealing to them to attend. Let us debate and then vote on this,’’ De Venecia said.

He said the senators should explain to the people why they are against a parliamentary form of government and a unicameral system. The Senate’s defiance, according to De Venecia, is wasting taxpayers’ money.

De Venecia also disputed Sen. Joker Arroyo’s statement that the public has grown tired of talking about charter change and that the administration and its allies should give it a rest.

"It is only the Senate that is getting tired. There are only a few of them while there are 10 million who signed their support to charter change in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,’’ De Venecia said.

He said that of the 202 congressmen who have committed to support a constituent assembly, 197 have already placed their signatures on paper.

De Venecia explained that amending or revising the Constitution will require the approval of only 195 congressmen or three fourths of the total House membership.

At Malacañang, Presidential Political Adviser Gabriel Claudio said "it is unreasonable for critics to expect Charter reform advocates to quit now.’’

"Constituent assembly is just an extension of people’s initiative. Its advocacy is the same, which is to provide the country with needed structures for lasting political stability and economic growth,’’ Claudio said.