'Cha-cha won't succeed without P-Noy's approval'

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Joker Arroyo believes any effort to amend the Constitution will be futile without support from President Aquino.

“Let’s start from the beginning on Charter change, if this is not supported by President Aquino, then this will not happen even if Senate President (Juan Ponce) Enrile and Speaker (Feliciano) Belmonte (Jr.) are talking about it,” he said over the weekend.

“In the final analysis, if President Aquino will not give his full support… this will not succeed.”

However, Arroyo did not discount the fact that Malacañang may just be playing coy about the moves since Enrile and Belmonte are broaching the idea.

“Maybe, there is a go-signal from Malacañang,” he said.

“I am not saying that there is, maybe there is. Come to think of it, the Speaker of the House and the Senate President will talk about Cha-cha and the President does not know about it.”

Sen. Franklin Drilon, an ally of Aquino, is also vocal about starting Cha-cha moves.

Arroyo said the 25-year-old Constitution should be reviewed because some of its provisions might have been “outmoded.”

“This Constitution… was (completed in) 1987 and ratified,” he said.