At Issue
Charter change bugaboo
The controversies spawned by the persistent issue of Charter change may yet bring us to the brink of national chaos if the various sectors of society as planned, with the support of the Catholic hierarchy, proceed with their rallies tomorrow.
Already, rally leaders are talking of national mobilizations of various organizations and religious groups backing what they call indignation rallies against Charter change.
Leaders of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said, "There are now efforts in various provinces and regions of the country to mount protest actions together with the religious and the opposition."
Bagong Alyansa leaders warned they could not promise to contain public outrage on the railroading of H.R. 1109, referring to the resolution passed by the House of Representatives the other day, converting itself into a Constituent Assembly to amend the Philippine Constitution.
The fear is that the resolution was passed over the objection of opposition members of the House to force Charter change with the primary purpose of extending the tenure of President Gloria Arroyo whose term of office ends in June, next year.
Extending the tenure of office of President Arroyo has been an old issue but it persists up to this late hour of her presidency because of the President's failure to directly and unequivocally disown it herself.
Of course, Malacañang spokesmen have repeatedly denied such contention, citing all possible reasons, except that the President herself has continually kept mum about it.
That silence fuels the suspicion.
Under the 1987 Constitution, "The President shall not be eligible for any reelection."
Parenthetically, this is the same provision in the Charter that ousted President Joseph Estrada is contesting in his desire to run anew for President in the 2010 polls.
To fend off suspicions that the House move to force Charter change is Malacañang-inspired, Palace officials point to the preparations being undertaken by the Commission on Elections for the 2010 elections.
The administration coalition, they say, is focused on the country's historic automation of national and local elections next year.
The modernization of election processes was mentioned to squelch reports that another intention of H.R. 1109 was to postpone next year's polls and thus make President Arroyo a hold-on President.
These are speculations, of course, and because they are coming mostly from the political opposition they are taken as such – political noises – by administration people.
But not really because those are not altogether loose utterances.
As has been aired by leaders of the Nacionalista Party, for one, the railroading of H.R. 1109 to amend the Charter has created "a massive political uncertainty," that could drive away prospective investors.
"Investors dislike political uncertainty," they say, and that is the truth.
It seems the real fear is that the 2010 elections as mandated by the Constitution might be sabotaged by the Charter change bugaboo.
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