Noynoy told to leave Congress alone in Charter change efforts

MANILA, Philippines - An opposition lawmaker asked President Aquino yesterday to leave lawmakers alone in tackling proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, who is expected to be the minority leader of the House of Representatives in the 15th Congress, was commenting on the reported plan of Mr. Aquino to form a body that would study the feasibility of Charter change as well as possible amendments.

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo filed on July 1 House Resolution 8 calling for a constitutional convention to amend the Constitution in one of her first official acts as congresswoman from Pampanga.

Lagman recalled that the previous Congresses have rejected the findings of Palace commissions studying amendments to the Constitution as the matter is a legislative affair.

Arroyo had once formed the Abueva Commission to recommend amendments and push for Charter change with the public.

“That has already been done in the time of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The work of the commission was rejected by Congress because that is the work of the executive,” Lagman told reporters.

“He (Mr. Aquino) should keep his hands off (Charter change) because that (commission) was already done before,” he said.

Earlier this week, some lawmakers have expressed support for Mrs. Arroyo’s measure, including Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez.

Quezon City Rep. Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte, who is expected to be the next speaker of the House, however, said amending the Constitution is not a priority of the chamber or of the Aquino administration.

Belmonte said the issue is divisive and the nation could not afford any disunity at this time.

 ‘Don’t vote for GMA’

The Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) launched yesterday a signature campaign around Negros Occidental urging all its seven congressmen not to vote for Rep. Arroyo or any of her perceived cohorts as speaker of the House.

The letter-petition will be submitted to fifth district Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo, the former president’s brother-in-law; Bacolod Rep. Anthony Golez, who was Arroyo’s deputy presidential spokesman; first district Rep. Jules Ledesma; second district Rep. Alfredo Maranon III; third district Rep. Alfredo Benitez; fourth district Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer, and sixth district Rep. Mercedes Alvarez.

“We are enjoining you not to support Congresswoman Gloria Arroyo’s bid for speakership nor support her cohorts in their effort to control once again the House of Representatives so as to derail any attempt of the Aquino administration to institute reforms for our country and for the common good of the people,” the petition read.

The NVC started gathering signatures yesterday and will submit the letter-petition to the congressmen on Monday.