THE minority in the House of Representatives said Monday that it will not support the dialogue between the Senate and the House on proposed constitutional change to make way for a federal system of government.

Party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros of Akbayan said that in a straw vote, “the sense of most opposition legislators is not to support talks between the Senate and House of Representatives on Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr.’s Charter- change proposal.”

“The House minority will not participate in the dialogue. We won’t Con-ass and we won’t Cha-cha, not while President Arroyo is around,” said Hontiveros.

Hontiveros said that as for her group, it supports federalism combined with a parliamentary form of government, which she described as the more appropriate constitutional order for the country.

“But we don’t see ourselves discussing it now while the President can still abuse her powers to manipulate the constitutional debate and its outcome,” Hontiveros said.

She said the intention of the Senate could be good, but any form of Charter change now “could also give the President an escape hatch after 2010.”

“Constitutional amendments should be premised on reforming the constitutional order and not on her survival,” Hontiveros said.

She said with 16 senators already supporting Pimentel’s federalism resolution and with the House majority expressing its openness to the idea, a constituent assembly could now be easily constituted.

“While they can convene the constituent assembly easily, we in Akbayan doubt if this initiative would get the support of the public. It would be viewed with suspicion, especially since there is no clamor for Cha-cha from the public,” Hontiveros said.

“The proponents should hold consultations first. They should engage the public in a debate on the merits of Charter change even before initiating the process. For once, let it be truly and genuinely led by citizens,” she added.

Hontiveros also expressed fears about the danger of how other agenda could be inserted in the debate.

“We need to remember that at the height of the ‘Hello, Garci’ scandal, the House majority rushed and tumbled to amend the Constitution to protect the President. While she is still in power, any attempt to change the Constitution could easily be tainted with the same insidious motivation,” Hontiveros said.

She added that there are other democratic perquisites that should be fulfilled before any talks on federalism should be conducted.

Solons hit govt’s bid to take over Meralco

MILITANT legislators opposed the government’s plan to take over the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), branding it as a political move to deprive the Lopezes of their prime economic holding, in retaliation for the latter’s perceived support, through its influential media outfit ABS-CBN network, of popular opposition to the administration.

A LARGE transport group is threatening to go on strike this month over the spiraling price of fuel and to press for the junking of the 12-percent expanded value-added tax (E-VAT) on oil products.

FOLLOWING the Congress’s ratification of the affordable-medicines law last week, a health official on Monday estimated access to cheaper medicines will be available by the end of the year.

THE minority in the House of Representatives said Monday that it will not support the dialogue between the Senate and the House on proposed constitutional change to make way for a federal system of government.

COMMUNIST guerrillas on Monday killed a police officer and three Army soldiers in separate ambushes in Legazpi City, and North Cotabato, on Monday. 

PILIPINO Telephone Corp. (Piltel), the country’s third largest cellular operator, on Monday said net income for the three months of the year went up by 24 percent to P2.46 billion on the back of higher revenues and lower expenses.