Who is being fascist?

It is not easy to define “fascist” because it is both an ideology and a political epithet. There are people who claim to think democratic but act like fascists. On the other hand there are those who think like ‘fascists’ but do so in defense of democracy.

It can be confusing. But in the present context, ‘fascist’ which means the use of force as political epithet describes some of the actions of self-proclaimed democrats. This is true with those who block debate on Charter change and its resolution through a plebiscite in the name of democracy.

Recently, there has been a spate of opposition lawmakers who have unashamedly used the crowds at the funeral cortege of former President Aquino to insist there should be no Charter change. The reasoning goes that if so many went to former President Cory’s funeral and Cory was against Charter change, then they must all be against Charter change.

It does not follow. Interestingly, those who lead this call are activist lawmakers, sometimes also called “the progressive bloc” led by Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo.

They cite the June 10 rally in Makati City in which “progressives”, in unholy alliance with the conservative Makati Business Club, came up with an unenthusiastic crowd of 5,200. The best way of honoring the “late freedom icon” they said was to call off any constitutional amendments because she had sent a message against HR 1109.  

The fact is all the protest rallies held to block Charter change were unimpressive whether on June 10, June 30 or July 27. I hope whoever provided the funds for these hakot crowds have learned their lesson. Organizing rallies can be very expensive.

Cory’s funeral was another thing. Filipinos respect the death of someone who had been part of the democratization of our country and as so many said, it was an opportunity to relive the glory days of EDSA 1 and the passions that ran high at the time because of Ninoy’s assassination.

The cortege was a readymade platform to draw crowds. But how many in the crowds were politically aware to resist being used to launch a yellow revolution in the mode of color revolutions in other countries. How many would have understood that their sympathy for her family on her death is not to launch a political agenda? They do not see the whole picture. In other countries this type of political manipulation has been duly exposed and extensively revealed by sources other than western media.

*      *      *

I attended a recent special meeting called by the Committee on Constitutional Amendments to find out whether there is still time for Charter change whether it was via constitutional assembly or constitutional convention. In the Comelec group were Commissioner Elias Yusoph and Deputy Executive Director for Operations Bartolome J. Sinocruz Jr.

It may be that not enough people are aware that a proposal for a constitutional convention like a constituent assembly would require a majority vote as well. For a constituent assembly the majority vote is for three fourths of all the members of Congress and for a constitutional convention, two-thirds was required. There are at least 10 resolutions/acts filed to propose a constitutional convention. The group hoped to approve a consolidated draft for the proposal. But discussions were bogged down when the so-called “progressive” group insisted on including the contested issue whether voting should be jointly or separately.

 Congressman Domogan countered this move and said that the best way to handle the sticky problem was not to interpret the Constitution but to follow strictly the wording of the Constitution. To introduce words like voting jointly or separately was an interpretation that was for the Supreme Court to resolve not the House or the Senate.

Indeed as Chairman Victor Ortega made clear Resolution 1109 in calling for a constituent assembly does not make any specific proposals. The first part of the resolution is a proposal to agree to meet and the second part to iterate no term extensions or postponement of elections.

 But is there enough time before the 2010 elections? The answer from the Comelec representatives was once a proposal was agreed upon in the legislature a plebiscite will be held in 60 to 90 days. So the crucial issue was to agree on what proposal to bring before the electorate. It is the stalemate between the two houses that is causing the anxiety of whether there is enough time. What a mess we are in because of the flawed 1987 Constitution.

I think it was Rep. Hontiveros Baraquel who asked if all this effort to agree to amend the Constitution was necessary. Chairman Victor Ortega answered succinctly and straight to the point. If you have a Constitution that is unclear about its rules of amendment surely it needs amendment. That is a basic flaw that must be remedied regardless of where you stand in the political spectrum. “We have our duty to future generations of Filipinos to do what we are mandated by the Constitution”, replied Ortega. So it is not only necessary, they could be blamed later if they do not take their duties seriously in the face of all the arguments that have been put forward on the need to clarify the rules of amendments. When history is written, the members of the 14th Congress will have to answer accusations of grave dereliction of duty. By that time, it will no longer be about partisan concerns or interests but the cost to the country of the lawmakers’ negligence. That too must be on the minds of our lawmakers regardless of the passions being fomented against them by those against Charter change.

*      *      *

But perhaps more revealing was the prospect of the conduct of the 2010 election itself. Yousoph said that at present there were more than 200 party list applicants. In the event that all were to be accepted we would have a kilometric ballot to contain all these names. We could end up having to choose among 600 names, 300 on the front side and 300 on the back page.

 A sample ballot was passed around. To be perfectly frank, it was an invitation for chaos and the electoral body cannot be blamed for it. The problem is magnified if you factor in automation that is introduced for the first time. I use the computer a lot for my work as a columnist and for other writings. Many times, even with the best of intentions, I press the wrong button, erasing work of many days.