CONSTITUENT-ASSEMBLY MUST CONTINUE - FVR
MANILA, July 31, 2005 (STAR) By Rainier Allan Ronda - Con-ass will prevail, says FVR.Despite opposition from many in the Senate, Charter change proponents should continue to push for amendments to the Constitution by a constituent assembly (con-ass) in order to change the country’s government to a federal parliamentary system, former President Fidel Ramos said yesterday.
Speaking to reporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Parañaque City after arriving from a conference in Malaysia, Ramos said opposition in the Senate could wane as the public debate on his suggested amendments to the Constitution continues.
"We should not be deterred by this initial reaction," Ramos said, reiterating that his Charter change proposal is the best solution to the prevailing political crisis besetting the country.
"It is something that is a necessary requirement for us to fulfill so we can move on more efficiently and faster. What is expensive is the incessant debate without any action on the ground."
The Senate may again block the renewed attempt to amend the Constitution — just as it did last year — because most senators disagree with Charter change proponents over when and how to make amendments.
Ramos also denied accusations hurled by his arch-critic, Sen. Miriam Santiago, that he planned to return to power as prime minister in the new parliamentary setup.
"She’s free to say anything that she wants but as a responsible public official, she must prove her allegations. Because while she has the right to talk in any way she wants — that’s her own lookout — she could lose her credibility," he said. Santiago opposes amending the Constitution.
Ramos, a staunch supporter of President Arroyo, sidestepped the poll fraud and bribery allegations against Mrs. Arroyo, whom he viewed as the "best alternative" to run the country and revitalize its struggling economy.
"We should continue to support her because she is the best alternative as far as I see," he asserted.
"But she must also do her part in effecting good governance in all issues, from top to bottom, from bottom to top, because that is the responsibility of the President. Everybody has a role to play in this very difficult period for the Philippines, even private citizens."
Just as the political crisis and calls for Mrs. Arroyo to resign hit fever pitch, Ramos suggested amending the Constitution by a constituent assembly and getting rid of the presidential system of democracy to minimize political bickering.
He said this would also give Mrs. Arroyo a "graceful exit" amid opposition-led calls for her resignation over allegations that she cheated in last year’s presidential election.
Mrs. Arroyo has admitted to phoning an election official during the May 2004 vote count but denied rigging the outcome. She refuses to resign but has welcomed an impeachment challenge to clear her name.
In her State of the Nation Address last Monday, Mrs. Arroyo signaled the start of "the great debate on Charter change" and called on Congress to consider rewriting the Constitution to change the government from the current unitary, US-style presidential system to a federal parliamentary system.
Such a move would fuse the legislative and executive branches of government and help remove gridlock caused by quarrels between the president and the bicameral Congress. Such a government would be more efficient and responsive to the public, Mrs. Arroyo said.
But in a change of heart, Mrs. Arroyo proposed that amendments be made by a constituent assembly, which has had little public support in the past. She previously expressed a preference for a constitutional convention, which many senators want because it would give the public a say as to who should draw up the amendments.
Article 17 of the Constitution provides for three methods of introducing amendments: by constituent assembly, constitutional convention or a people’s initiative.
In a constituent assembly, Congress would propose amendments while in a constitutional convention delegates elected to the panel by Filipinos would introduce amendments.
In a people’s initiative, at least 12 percent of the electorate may propose changes through a petition. All proposed amendments are to be ratified by the people in a plebiscite.
Congress may sit as a constituent assembly if both its chambers adopt a resolution for the purpose. Last year, the House of Representatives passed such a resolution but a similar measure did not make it through the Senate.
Past attempts to amend the Charter during the administrations of Ramos and Joseph Estrada were blocked by strong public opposition fueled by memories of the brutal Marcos dictatorship.
Most Filipinos fear that Charter change proponents merely seek to remove term limits on elective officials. Term limits were put in place when the Constitution was rewritten in 1986 to prevent a repeat of abuses under the Marcos dictatorship.
Under Ramos’ proposal, Congress would have until September this year to convene as a constituent assembly and finish drafting amendments by November.
Ramos pointed out that the amendments would only cover four specific areas and not the entire Constitution: form of government, electoral reform, political party reform and judicial reform.
A seven-member high commission drawn from different sectors would be tasked to work with the constituent assembly in drafting the amendments.
The amendments would be ratified by February next year and elections be held in June with a parliamentary form of government in place.
All current positions in government, including the presidency, would then be declared vacant.
Mrs. Arroyo earlier said she would leave it up to Congress — sitting as a constituent assembly — to decide whether or not to cut short or modify her remaining five years in office.
Government economists have also said the current Constitution is not attuned to the market-based economy and gives too much power to the judiciary, which can effectively scuttle the government’s economic policies.
The Constitution bars foreign participation in key businesses and limits presidents to a single six-year term.
A federal system — to be put in place after a certain period — has also gained favor among provincial governments who have long been dissatisfied over the dominance of so-called "imperial Manila."
Charter change opponents say economic reforms and endemic corruption should be addressed first.
They added that a parliamentary system needs strong parties to work properly and that a strong party system is something the Philippines’ personality-driven politics notably lacks.
Moreover, critics have charged that parliamentary governments rely on strong political parties while in the Philippines, most parties are merely vehicles for prominent personalities.
Elected officials switch parties with ease, making parliamentary governments vulnerable to being toppled anytime, they say.
However, Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., the leading Charter change proponent, points to the many parliamentary governments in Europe and Asia as examples of how such a system works better than the US-style presidential system, which the Philippines inherited from its American colonizers in the 1900s.
In her 2004 State-of-the-Nation Address, Mrs. Arroyo likewise had asked Congress to consider amending the Constitution to change the country’s current form of government, which she said would help her administration’s efforts to revitalize the struggling economy.
But Charter change proponents were forced to shelve the plan and imposed a year-long moratorium on discussions on the issue when the country’s fiscal situation became serious enough to require urgent measures.
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
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