Arroyo’s House allies eye con-con as alternative to con-ass

A day after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address, the chief executive’s congressional allies reiterated their resolve to push for Charter Change either through constituent assembly or another mode in case con-ass fails to tinker with the 1987 Constitution. La Union Rep. Victor Ortega, chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, told GMANews.TV on Tuesday that despite the passage of the controversial House Resolution 1109, which convenes Congress into a con-ass, his panel would still deliberate on other measures calling for a constitutional convention (con-con) to revise the Charter. Asked why his panel would still push for con-con despite the passage of the measure for con-ass, Ortega said this would be “another route" to ensure that there would be Cha-cha. “For instance, your aim is to go to Baguio and you took Kennon Road but you couldn’t get to Baguio because of a landslide. So you take another route, say Marcos Highway to get to your destination. Our target is to reach that destination. How we reach it, on what road, is secondary," Ortega said. Ortega’s move is being supported by Speaker Prospero Nograles, who said on Monday that con-con “is a wide option" despite the scheduled caucus of the majority bloc on con-ass next month. In May, before the passage of H.R. 1109, Nograles said con-con would be the House of Representatives’ alternative in case moves for con-ass fails. “When all else fails, we’ll do Plan B, probably by the end of August. All those that I have talked to want the law changed. The problem is they don’t want term extension, but they like con-con," said Nograles. The move for con-ass through H.R. 1109 was met with much criticism especially from members of the upper chamber because the legislation does not require the participation of the Senate in convening Congress into a con-ass. Ortega’s committee is set to resume hearings on the pending con-con bills on the second Tuesday of August. Under some of the proposals, delegates for the constitutional convention will be elected simultaneously with the election of national and local officials in May 2010. The delegates will then convene to propose amendments to the Constitution when the new administration is in place. Ortega said Congress might run out of time if it insists on pushing Cha-cha via con-ass before the May 2010 polls. “The assembly has to discuss and debate to come up with proposals to amend the Constitution. Then the proposal has to go to the Senate and approved by both Houses. Then it goes to the Comelec (Commission on Elections) which should set a plebiscite not less than 60 days but not more than 90 days from the time it received the proposal," he said. "That will take a lot of time especially now that the Comelec is busy preparing for the elections," he added. - GMANews.TV