Cha-cha not a priority of Congress, too

Leaders from both the Senate and the House of Representatives on Monday indicated that Charter change will not be among the priority legislation of Congress this year. House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., who is now listing the priorities of the House for the first Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting, said they have other priorities that must be considered first. “Not this year," Belmonte said when asked if Charter change will be among the main concerns of the chamber in 2011. Belmonte said he is supporting the proposed economic amendments on the Constitution, but not the change of the presidential form of government to parliamentary system. Charter change proponents want to amend the economic provisions in the Constitution supposedly to update them and make them more palatable to foreign investors. But according to Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, who opposes Charter change, it’s not the economic provisions in the Charter but the “unabated corruption, peace and order, lack of infrastructure and high electricity costs" that discourage foreign investors from coming to the country. “The Charter isn’t really broken, and if it ain’t broken, why fix it?" he said. Administration ally Sen. Francis Pangilinan said advocates should not look at Charter change as the “magic wand" that will solve the country’s problems. “We are still struggling to implement our laws as they are, what makes them think that when a new set of laws under a new Constitution is put in place, these new laws will then be effectively and fully implemented?" he said, adding that amending the Constitution “does not guarantee anything." Extension of power? Aside from this, Cayetano also cautioned lawmakers against “rushing" to amend the Constitution because it might supposedly pave the way for the “extended" rule of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Charter change was one of the most controversial issues during the nine-year presidency of Arroyo. Her allies in the 14th Congress attempted to amend the 1987 Constitution through various legislations — giving rise to speculations that she wants to change the Charter to enable herself to remain in power. As congresswoman, Arroyo’s first House resolution, HR No. 8, sought the amendment of the Charter through a constitutional convention. It was co-authored by her son, Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado "Dato" Arroyo. Arroyo's party-mate, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga also filed a resolution and a bill for the same purpose. [See: Arroyo partymate files reso, bill calling for Con-Con] Belmonte said pending bills proposing Charter change, including Arroyo's proposal, will be discussed by the House committee constitutional amendments. Now is the time However, Zambales Rep. Ma. Milagros “Mitos" Magsaysay, a member of the minority bloc in the House, said that now is the right time to discuss amendments to the Constitution. “I think it should be discussed once and for all to ferret out what the people really want," said Magsaysay. Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong, for his part, said the public should understand that Charter change is not about the presidency but reforms in the countryside. “[Charter change] is needed to put provisions in the Constitution that will initiate progress and political reforms. It is not about the presidency," said Datumanong, a stalwart of the Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD). Give PNoy's admin a chance Cayetano and Pangilinan, however, asked the lawmakers and the public to give the current administration a chance to prove that it can improve the country’s situation without resorting to Charter change. “Let us allow the PNoy administration to finish its promised task to end red tape and corruption and leave our charter be," said Cayetano. “What we need is determined and effective leadership that will vigorously implement our laws in full without fear or favor," said Pangilinan. Cayetano also urged other lawmakers to focus on the Freedom of Information bill and the administration-sponsored economic bills and problems instead of Charter change. - Kim Tan and Amita Legaspi/KBK, GMANews.TV