Mayor Hagedorn for charter change

Edward Hagedorn has lent his prestige in the LGU community in support of the government's call for charter change. Speaking at the Kapihan sa Sulo last Saturday, the mayor of Puerto Princesa said: "I thought a change of heart was all that was needed to progress. Now, I believe we should also reform the structure." He is attracted to charter change because of two reasons. One is the promise of more local autonomy under the new constitution. The other is that there would be lesser gridlocks in the operation of the central government. He said that the League of Cities of which he is an officer will be involved in the great debate on charter change in the coming months.

He is aware that the proposal for charter change is controversial, caught as it is by the many controversies that surround the political leadership of the land. But he says that eventually the people will decide on the issue. "We will see how the people will decided when the matter is brought to them in a referendum."

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Confusion marks handling of Subic case

Our government appears confused on how to proceed with the trial of four US servicemen charged with rape in the Olongapo Regional Trial Court. Like a man in the midst of a crossroad, we don't know whether to go this way or that way.

For instance, we don't know the legal framework that should govern offenses committed by visiting US soldiers. Should it be the Philippines Constitution? Or should it be the Visiting Forces Agreement? Or should it be a mix of both? Judge Renato Dilag who presided over the trial in Olongapo was so confused that he withdrew the warrants for the arrest of the four erring servicemen the other day. This somersault he did after finding out that, after all, it was the Visiting Forces Agreement that was the applicable "law of the land" - as far as the trial was concerned. In short, he could not apply the procedures of arrest outlined in Philippine laws.

That is the problem with judges who do not have political sense. At the beginning of the trial, Judge Dilag proclaimed -with a lot of bravado- that he would arrest the US soldiers. But when the US embassy refused to honor his warrant, he had to back out. Even the Department of Foreign Affairs which was tasked to deliver the warrant was reluctant, knowing that the Americans had the option to reject the summons. The question that comes to mind is: To who is Judge Dilag responsible? Is he responsible to his own self? But should we allow him to be responsible to himself when he is himself confused on the matter of the law? It used to be that the judges were somehow responsible to the Department of Justice, under the old pre-martial law system. But when the Supreme Court took over management of the courts in the 1973 Constitution, the individual judges came under the supervision of the Chief Justice. Was Dilag properly guided by the Chief Justice on the case of the erring American servicemen? As if the Dilag somersault were not enough, another blunder is about to come. This is the proposal by Senator Miriam Santiago to abolish the VFA Commission. The people in the Palace should study this plan carefully because it appears to me a very rushed judgment. If the intention of the abolition is to send a message to the US, then it might end up giving us more problems. The problem with the VFA has something to do with its many onerous provisions. The best way to remedy the situation is to review and renegotiate the terms of the accord, not to abolish the VFA that is just an offshoot of the agreement itself.

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BRIEF NOTES. The Liberal Party anniversary celebrations held the other weekend was a complete flop. Despite efforts to show unity, it was clear to the members that there were two events held, one led by Senate President Franklin Drilon and the other by Manila Mayor Lito Atienza... The effort by former Senate President Jovito Salonga to unify the party failed... Ilocos Norte congressman Imee R. Marcos continues to be under attack by Enrique Razon of the ICTSCI who also owns the Manila Standard newspaper. Imee made the mistake of saying in public that Razon owned the plane that carried Garci from Subic to Singapore sometime in July last year... Congressman Propero Pichay is preparing to run for the Senate. He has been telling friends that Mindanao is underrepresented in the present Senate. Before, Mindanao had Teofisto Guingona Jr., Santanina Rasul and Senator Robert Barbers... Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. has captured in music his experience during martial law. The recital was held last Saturday... Governor Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu has been tapped by Malacañang to lead the speakers' bureau in support of charter change. A tight schedule awaits her in Manila this week and next week.