‘No presidential imprimatur on Cha-cha moves in Congress’

MANILA, Philippines - There is no presidential imprimatur on fresh moves by administration allies in Congress to amend the Constitution, two Palace officials clarified yesterday.

“The President is firm, notwithstanding the endorsement of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. towards amending the Charter on the economic provisions,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

“I suppose Speaker Belmonte has a position different from the President, but the President has always been very transparent about his position on Charter change,” he told a news briefing, categorically denying insinuations Aquino was orchestrating the move.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. also rejected allegations by militant lawmakers that Aquino was secretly supporting Charter amendments.

“That allegation has no basis. The President’s position is firm and clear that Charter change is not necessary, much less a priority,” Coloma said in Filipino.

“There have been occasions, for instance, where there were some people who will call for the amendment of the Charter, but the President, either publicly or privately, has always stated that there’s no need for Charter change,” Lacierda said. 

“The President has always cited the example of China as a country where land is not open to foreign nationals and yet they experience growth,” Lacierda said. “Our economy has grown better even without amending the Charter.”

No double talk

House leaders also denied allegations that President Aquino is secretly supporting their economic Cha-cha push.

Belmonte said the claims are unfair and baseless since the President does not engage in double talk.

“The track record and integrity of the President will speak for itself. It is not his style to deceive the people. We are still working to convince him into supporting our initiative,” he said.

Aside from insinuating that Aquino was secretly supporting Cha-cha, Bayan Muna also accused administration lawmakers of railroading Cha-cha.

Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. of Dasmariñas City in Cavite urged Colmenares and his party-list allies to stop making false accusations against Aquino.

“Filipinos believe in the sincerity of the President. He does not engage in doublespeak. The imputation that the President gave his silent blessings to Charter change is thus uncalled for.”

Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the Cha-cha initiative is an honest-to-goodness effort on the part of Aquino’s allies to help him expand the modest economic growth the country has attained under his administration.

“We can do double-digit growth if we can attract more foreign investments by enlarging foreign participation in certain sectors of the economy,” he said.    

He urged those against Cha-cha to accord its proponents the courtesy of presuming good faith on their part, “in the same manner that we are assuming that they are opposing Cha-cha out of their own convictions and not because some people or groups are pushing them to.” – With Jess Diaz, Paolo Romero, Michelle Zoleta