Arroyo's 1st House resolution seeks to change Constitution

(Update 3 — 4:35 p.m.) A day after being sworn in as congresswoman, former president Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Thursday filed her first ever House resolution, which sought to amend the 1987 Constitution through a constitutional convention. House Resolution 8, filed a month before the opening of the 15th Congress, was co-authored by the former president's son and Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado "Dato" Arroyo. Arroyo’s resolution — which was filed on Thursday along with five bills — stressed the need to amend the Philippine Charter not only to help resolve national problems but also to give the country "competitiveness in a highly-globalized economy." The Constitution should be "living and active" and should "give the direction and respond to the situation of the country and its people," Arroyo said in the resolution. “Whereas, the 22-year-old 1987 Philippine Constitution contains certain provisions which have outlived their purpose and need to be revisited to institute much needed socio-economic and political reforms," read the resolution. To allay speculations that the amendment would only serve her and her allies in Congress, Arroyo proposed in her resolution that the members making up the constitutional convention be chosen through an election. The Arroyos' resolution could only be approved through a two-thirds vote from members of Congress. Arroyo's critics were strongly opposed to moves in the 14th Congress to amend the charter, fearing that it would allow the former President to stay in power by becoming prime minister. Arroyo as prime minister? Critics claim that Arroyo wanted to change the country's form of government from presidential to parliamentary. Under such a system, critics said Arroyo could muster support from lawmaker-allies and install her as prime minister. However, these speculations were doused when Arroyo's political party, Lakas-Kampi-CMD, earlier announced that it would be pitting Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman as its bet for House Speakership. The Liberal Party, party of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, has already said it was aiming to become the dominant political party at the lower chamber. The LP is fielding former Quezon City mayor and newly elected Rep. Feliciano Belmonte to go up against Lagman. Other Charter change resolutions Other resolutions seeking Charter change include House Speaker Prospero Nograles' House Resolution 737, which sought to ease local restrictions on foreign ownership of land and corporations. Meanwhile, HR 1109, drafted by Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte, sought to amend the constitution through a constituent assembly. But Charter change moves fizzled last year because the House failed to secure support from key personalities who, at that time, were already busy preparing for the May 2010 elections. Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Mrs. Arroyo's move was not surprising as she had been an open supporter of Charter change even during her presidential term. "This is not something surprising for us," he said at a press briefing in Malacañang. Lacierda said Malacañang is not threatened by the bill. "Let's see, let the legislative process takes its course." Besides its Con-con proposal, the two Arroyos also filed other resolutions including one that seeks the integration of the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, a GMA Flash Report said. Another resolution sought the establishment of a Department of Housing, Planning, and Urban Development, the television report said. Over 100 resolutions More than 100 House resolutions were submitted on the first day of filing in Congress, the same report added. Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson received the distinction of filing the first resolution of the 15th Congress or HR 1, which sought tax exemptions for hybrid car imports. Hybrid cars use two power sources — an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. Meanwhile, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño also refiled a resolution for Freedom of Information Bill, which wasn’t ratified in the last Congress because the body failed to secure enough members to constitute a quorum. Supporters of the bill that sought greater transparency in government transactions blamed Congress for the non-ratification, claiming that some lawmakers feared the measure would expose their wrongdoing. - with Jam Sisante/RJAB Jr/LBG/KBK, GMANews.TV