Bishops wary of Cha-cha moves in Congress

Philippine Catholic bishops are wary of moves in both houses in Congress to amend some provisions in the 1987 Constitution. At least three bishops said they still feel the reasons laid out by those calling for Charter Change (Cha-cha) are lacking. “At this stage, Cha-cha is not needed. We have so many, many good laws. What is needed is implementation. Political will is what the government needs to implement these laws," Tagbilaran (Bohol) Bishop Leonardo Medroso said in an article posted Friday on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines news site. The CBCP article noted the House of Representatives’ Committee on Constitutional Amendments has started conducting hearings for the amendment of the 1987 Constitution. But lawmakers maintained they will focus only on the economic provisions and not the political aspect of the Constitution. Still, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo maintained Charter change will not address the ills confronting the nation. "Even the Constitution is not being implemented. It should be enforced first before amending it," Pabillo said. For his part, Cotabato auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo believes that while changes may be needed, there should not be an overhaul of the Constitution. “I don’t think it should be the total overhaul of the whole constitution. It should be identified," he said. The CBCP earlier rejected moves to amend the Constitution, as it voiced suspicion some elected officials want to perpetuate themselves in power. The 1987 Constitution imposes term limits on elected officials, including:

• A single six-year term for presidents;
• Two consecutive six-year terms for senators; and
• Three consecutive three-year terms for House members.

On the other hand, the bishops voiced preference for a Constitutional Convention over other methods such as Congress acting as a Constituent Assembly in amending the Charter. — LBG, GMA News