Bar outgoing politicos from the Concon!

The recent Con-Ass debacle proves once and for all that the members of the House of Representatives really have no idea of how the average Filipino thinks. House Speaker Jose de Venecia probably thought that Filipinos are a bunch of fools, easily conned and totally naïve to what's going around them. As the late Civil War President Abe Lincoln used to say, "You can fool some of the people some of the time or most of the people most of the time, but you can never fool all of the people all of the time." Knowing perhaps the kind of Congressmen that the Filipino people voted into Congress, JDV misread the thoughts of the Filipino. Now they're the ones looking like fools!

I'm glad that Rep. Tony Cuenco publicly apologized for his faux pas. I'm sure that like the rest of his colleagues, he too was captivated by the glib tongued JDV. But the reality is simple. We really need to change our present 20-year-old Constitution, which hasn't propelled the Philippines to equal footing with our more advanced ASEAN neighbors. How many columns in the last ten years have I been harping on this subject that the only way to change the constitution is via a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con).

This is where we still have problems. While they are still debating whether we have the funds for a Con-Con or not, this early, we ought to set up the implementing rules and guidelines for a Con-Con. If you ask me, "outgoing" elective officials and their immediate families should be barred from joining the Con-Con. We need delegates coming from the people, not from political has-beens or their wives or namesakes.

Congress should give the Con-Con delegates only one year to produce a new charter. There is no point in for instance discussing for months the preamble of the new constitution. We are not starting from scratch as we have a host of examples to use or follow. At this point, we can only hope that co Con-Con delegates can be elected together in the May 2007 elections.

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Once again media is on the spotlight because of that presscon incident which happened last Saturday called for by House Speaker Jose de Venecia. I just got a copy of a statement coming from Jose Torre Jr., chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) deploring "the ill-judged and unconscionable behavior shown by some colleagues in the media who ganged up on activist Renato Constantino Jr. during the press conference. We particularly deplore the action of columnist Victor Agustin of the Philippine Daily Inquirer who doused Mr. Constantino with water."

The NUJP added, "We will not begrudge the journalists concerned if they felt that Mr. Constantino was out of line by speaking at a press conference they believed only the media were entitled to attend. But for them to berate Mr. Constantino and, worse, physically attack him for expressing himself is tragic. For how can we, who invoke press freedom and the right to free expression in the exercise of our calling, even deign to prevent others, especially citizens who actually own these freedoms, from exercising these rights?"

With that statement said and delivered, all I can say is poor Mr. Victor Agustin. He has become the victim of this brouhaha! I met this Inquirer columnist only once during a cocktail event for Continental Airlines, where he introduced himself. I was surprised that he knew me, even if he wrote for the other paper. I thought he was a very quiet person, who made pains not to offend anyone. No doubt, something triggered him to douse water on the noise of Mr. Constantino whom many people say deserved it!

On the other side of the coin, Mr. Renato Constantino no longer belongs with any media outlet, which means he was out of place in that press-con. To say the least, Mr. Constantino behaved in the most boorish (bastos) manner, which is why the members of the media were infuriated by his shouting at the Congressmen, which is why he got his comeuppance.

Let me point out that I too believe that in pushing unilaterally for a Constituent Assembly without the Senate, the Congress acted without shame. However, proper decent behavior dictates that during press conferences, the members of media at all times must act in a proper decorum, no matter how indignant we get from the actions of those holding a press conference.

I guess everyone knows which side of the political fence Mr. Constantino belongs and that statement of support by the NUJP only proves our suspicion that the NUJP and Constantino wear the same feathers! Sure, we also believe in the sacredness of our Freedom of Expression, but it carries with it some responsibility. Let me say it here that Mr. Constantino was out of place and so was that statement of support from the NUJP!