‘Charter change dead’

Administration lawmakers are no longer interested in reviving efforts to change the Constitution – at least for now, according to two leaders of the House of Representatives.

“Most of us here do not have the intention of resurrecting Cha-cha (Charter change). It’s not wise for us to be discussing Cha-cha at this time,” Majority Leader Arthur Defensor told a news conference.

He said the decision of the committee on constitutional amendments to tackle several resolutions and bills proposing Charter changes did not have the blessing of the majority bloc or even of Malacañang.

“That was their own decision. It did not come from us or from Malacañang,” he said.

At the palace, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said efforts to amend the Constitution were not a priority of President Arroyo.

Ermita said though Charter change has been the subject of meetings at Malacañang in the past months, he said it would be too early to talk about such issues since the country just underwent two nationwide elections this year.

“The focus of the President is on correct governance and delivery of basic services to the people rather than talk of politics,” Ermita said. “You can’t say it’s totally out but it’s not a priority as of the moment.”

Defensor said the committee chaired by La Union Rep. Victor Ortega was just “going through the motions” of discussing the Cha-cha measures referred to it.

“They have to discuss these. They cannot sit on them,” he added.

He pointed out that the priority of the House is the approval of important legislative proposals, including the 2008 budget, cheaper medicine bill and economic measures, such as the proposed creation of a credit information agency.

Deputy Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said the new Cha-cha initiative “is dead in the water.”

“This won’t fly because the people are already on 2010 mode,” he said, referring to presidential and local elections in 2010.

He said several presidential wanna-bes among senators are already girding for the coming electoral battle.

“Instead of wasting our time on Cha-cha, we in Congress should better work on preparations for the 2010 elections and make sure that these are clean and orderly,” he added.

Opposition congressmen Roilo Golez of Parañaque and Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City told the Ortega panel on Tuesday that reviving Cha-cha at this time would be “politically divisive and counter-productive.”

It would distract lawmakers from the tasks of passing measures that would sustain the country’s modest economic growth, they said.

Rodriguez said Mrs. Arroyo’s allies are trying to resurrect Cha-cha to divert public attention from the recent string of controversies involving her and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

Golez said the House minority would be willing to support specific amendments, tackled one at a time, but not a revision of the Constitution. 

Two prominent religious leaders meanwhile slammed what they believed were efforts to revive Cha-cha.

“No matter what you do with Cha-cha, it’s still unacceptable under the present leadership,” Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz told reporters.

“After this present administration, let’s do everything but not now. The Charter change is definitely to benefit the one sitting to continue after 2010,” he added. “Under the present leadership you cannot have anything fair.”

Jesus is Lord Movement leader Bro. Eddie Villanueva agreed with Cruz, saying Charter change was meant to keep Mrs. Arroyo in office after 2010.

“Changing the Constitution at this point is a classic example of insatiable greed for power and money in the face of people’s overwhelming clamor for genuine change and reforms,” Villanueva said.

He said “the controlling political power in our country is expected to resort to any shameless political tactics just to perpetuate themselves in power.”

“The GMA government is just true to its real form as a morally bankrupt government as truthfully pictured by CBCP,” Villanueva added. - Jess Diaz, Reinir Padua, Paolo Romero