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Arroyo revives Cha-Cha bid, forms federalism panel


President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday indicated the revival of the administration’s plan to pursue changes to the 1987 Constitution, as she announced the creation of a panel that will draft plans for the establishment of federal government in 2012. GMA Flash Report said Mrs Arroyo made the announcement during the Regional Workshop on the Establishment of National Human Rights Institutions. “We are hereby forming a panel to draft a roadmap to federalism by 2012. The measures could include: superregion planning and oversight bodies with officials and staff from the regional development councils and national agencies, to draw up programs and projects up to a stipulated amount, for inclusion in the 2009 budget; legislation to affirm and expand executive issuances; and eventually Charter changes," Arroyo said, saying this is seen to solve the insurgency and terrorism problem in Mindanao. The panel will be composed of representatives from Congress, Department of Interior and Local Government, National Economic and Development Authority, Presidential Management Staff, and local government units the report quoted Mrs Arroyo as saying. She further said advocates of federalism from the opposition are welcome to join the panel. In reaction to the President's pronouncement, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said: "This is the first time in many months that I heard the President say that. When I was listening to her it seemed... that eventually we may move to federalism." "I don’t think masasabi ninyo na nawala, alam naman ninyo politics is a very dynamic agenda and at any time the President as a political leader is always looking in front about her vision or what’s good for the country, so I suppose the President is always thinking about it," Ermita added. On the other hand, Senate Majority Floor Leader Francis Pangilinan opposed the administration's renewed interest in pursuing Charter change, saying the administration officials cannot be trusted to put public interest ahead of their own selfish agenda. Pangilinan also said the Charter change merely aims to extend the stay of "those in power" beyond 2010. "Can we trust the Arroyo government to pursue charter change with the best interest of the nation at heart? Sadly, based on the string of unconstitutional and illegal acts such as the Hello Garci scandal, EO 464, PP 1017, AO 197 and CPR among others foisted upon us these past three years, the answer is most certainly not," Pangilinan said. "Every decent, freedom loving Filipino should stand up and vigorously opposed charter change as advocated by this administration. These efforts are geared towards shamelessly pursuing selfish and self-serving interests of those in power, to stay in power beyond 2010. We have seen what this administration is capable of doing both fair and foul to push for charter change," Pangilinan added. - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV

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