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The Senate might yet pass a resolution calling for Charter change,
or “Cha-cha.”
The possibility of amending the 1987
Constitution loomed on Wednesday night when 11 senators signed a
resolution that seeks adoption of a federal system to replace the
current unitary system of government.
President Gloria Arroyo said revival of Cha-cha
is no longer her priority. She added, though, that she is not
against any constitutional amendments that will pave the way for
federalism.
Through her spokesman, President Arroyo said
that realistically there is no time left for her to tackle
federalism in her remaining years in office. Her term ends in 2010.
“She [does not oppose] any suggestion on
political reforms because the President runs on a platform of
economic and political reforms,” Ignacio Bunye said.
Bunye added that Mrs. Arroyo was able to achieve
gains in reforming the country’s economy. But, he admitted, the
President failed in her initial plan of fixing the Philippine
political system.
“Right now, the President is concentrating on
further strengthening the economy, but she will let her successor
tackle reforming our political system, particularly the adoption of
federalism through Charter change,” Bunye said.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr.
filed Joint Resolution 10 proposing the shift from a presidential to
a parliamentary government. The resolution was also authored by
Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. and Senators Edgardo Angara, Pia
Cayetano, Juan Ponce Enrile, Francis Escudero, Jose “Jinggoy”
Estrada, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Francis Pangilinan and
Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.
Amending the 1987 Constitution, Pimentel also on
Thursday said, would not result in the extension of the term of Mrs.
Arroyo.
“The 2010 presidential elections will proceed
as scheduled. There will be no extension or diminution of the terms
of elected officials,” he told The Manila Times.
Pimentel filed the resolution also on Wednesday
evening.
In the Thirteenth Congress, the Senate Committee
on Constitutional Amendments headed by Angara came up with a report
endorsing a shift to a parliamentary-federal system of government.
The endorsement, however, was overtaken by the 2004 elections.
Pimentel said he hopes that with Joint
Resolution 10, debate on the proposed shift to a federal system
would no longer be confined within academe and some organizations.
“My main idea is to bring the matter to the
entire people so they could understand the whole issue and make a
more intelligent decision,” he added.
Pimentel has been pushing for a federal system
of government, except shortly before the 2004 presidential polls
when he expressed fears that the initiative of congressmen allied
with the administration would result in the extension of the term of
the President.
He said federalization would hasten the
development of the entire country and dissipate the causes of
rebellion, particularly in the southern Mindanao region. The region
has been besieged by communist and Muslim insurgencies for more than
30 years.
“The [federalism] proposal will hopefully
provide a just and lasting redress of the grievances of the
powerless and the neglected sectors of society, like the Moro
peoples of Mindanao,” Pimentel added.
The joint resolution seeks the creation of the
federal states of Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Bicol and Southern
Tagalog, Mindoro-Palawan-Romblon-Marinduque, Eastern Visayas,
Central Visayas, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Southern
Mindanao, and Bangsamoro, or the state for the country’s Muslim
minority.
“Metro Manila will be converted into a federal
administrative region along the lines of Washington, D.C., in the
United States, or New Delhi in India,” Pimentel said.
-- Efren L. Danao and Angelo S. Samonte
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