EDITORIAL - No great debate

President Arroyo called for a "great debate" on Charter change, and now she’s seeing it. The quality of debate can hardly be described as great, which is to be expected in a country where people think winning an argument entails nothing more than shouting down the opponent. Certain groups have turned their opposition to Charter change into just another extension of efforts to oust the President. Some quarters are also unable or unwilling to grasp the difference between opposition to amending the Constitution and opposition simply to the mode being pushed by the administration for Cha-cha, which at this time is the people’s initiative.

Amid the usual chaos, some sober voices are trying to get their arguments heard. If those voices can rise above the din, the people should consider the ideas being set forth by both supporters and proponents of Cha-cha. That is precisely what the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines wants – the people’s active involvement in the ongoing discussions so that they can make informed choices in a matter that has serious significance in national life.

The administration and certain proponents of Cha-cha brought upon themselves this opposition to the latest effort to amend the Constitution. The Supreme Court has yet to rule on whether there is an enabling law that will allow the people’s initiative, which is enshrined in the Constitution, to be used in amending the Charter. Because of the controversy surrounding the issue, Cha-cha proponents should have proceeded with deliberate speed in going about the people’s initiative, keeping the public fully informed at every step and ensuring that the results of the effort will stand the test of transparency and accuracy.

Instead the initiative has been carried out like a bill being railroaded in Congress. The administration’s gloat that there is no stopping the "Cha-cha train" reinforced suspicions that government resources are being used for the effort. This runaway Cha-cha train has drowned out reasonable arguments for amending the Constitution, a number of which are urgently needed if the country is to improve its competitiveness in the global economy. Instead of informing the public about the reasons for amending the Constitution, proponents are trying to ram Cha-cha down the nation’s throat. They should not be surprised if the nation gags and spits out Cha-cha.