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ANY move
to open the 1987 Constitution for amendments and
revision now will only give an opportunity for the
Arroyo administration to hatch a scheme to remain in
power, the United Opposition (Uno) said on Wednesday.
“The
opposition’s stand on Charter change has been consistent
and, in fact, was part of the Genuine Opposition’s
platform in the 2007 elections. We will oppose any move
to amend the Constitution at this time, whether by
constituent assembly, people’s initiative or
constitutional convention,” UNO spokesman Adel Tamano
said.
“Not
only will it be a waste of billions of pesos that could
be used for social services in these economically
difficult times, but also its real objective is to
enable Arroyo to stay in power beyond 2010,” he added.
“Let’s wait till we have a new administration with a
fresh mandate, and then we can start broad consultations
on the wisdom of changing the Charter.”
Tamano
earlier filed a petition in intervention in the case
involving the memorandum of agreement between the
government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on
ancestral domain before the Supreme Court.
Renewed
moves to amend the 1987 Constitution through the
proposal for federalism reveal that the Arroyo
administration is clearly determined to perpetuate
itself in power possibly even beyond 2010, according to
independent think tank IBON Foundation.
In its
midyear political assessment report, IBON noted that the
administration’s maximum objective in the coming months
is to maneuver to stay beyond 2010. Charter change, for
now, appears to be the preferred mechanism for allowing
the President to retain power through a shift to a
federal-parliamentary government. Charter change is also
a means of gaining the support of various political and
economic interest groups, including foreign governments
and elite capital, it added.
However,
the move towards Cha-cha would not be smooth given
Arroyo’s immense unpopularity, and the general
perception that such moves only serve her self-interest,
the think tank said.
The
Nacionalista Party, headed by Senate President Manny
Villar, reiterated its commitment to policy debates on
how to further develop the Constitution.
In a
statement, the party said it “recognizes that the
Constitution, being the mother law that governs the
nation, must be responsive to strategic issues of
national interest. It supports the initiative of Sen.
Aquilino Pimentel to open the doors of debate on
federalism as a proactive course of action in bringing
peace to Mindanao.
“Having
said that, the party categorically opposes any move to
change the Constitution before 2010 as part of peace
building in Mindanao. It believes that this will further
divide an already polarized society. The immediate task
is to build a climate of understanding between and among
stakeholders to true peace in Mindanao. And this means
getting the pulse of the whole nation, sincerely
involving our democratic institutions, and respecting
our democratic processes and laws.” |
