‘Dream on,’ Ping tells GMA – Malaya 11.30.2006

Says admin fears rout in May polls

BY JP LOPEZ

SEN. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson yesterday ridiculed Charter change advocates led by President Arroyo for moving to cancel the May elections and to convene Congress into a Constituent Assembly (Con-ass) even without the participation of the Senate.

"They can dream all they want. They can offer term extensions even if they haven’t amended the Constitution to scrap the term limits of lawmakers. Yet, when they wake up, the reality is that they face certain defeat in May 2007. They are dreaming because they are afraid to face the wrath of the voters in May," Lacson said.

"Takot silang humarap sa election sa 2007… Pagkatalong daranasin pagdating ng Mayo, kahiya-hiya para sa kanila kaya ‘yan. Iniiwasan nila hangga’t maaari na huwag umabot sa election," he said.

He said that after three nights of separate caucuses chaired by President Arroyo in Malacañang, the charter change advocates failed to muster even 100 congressmen.

"And now they are thinking of having the presence of 195 to individually or physically be present and vote for proposed amendments to the Constitution… It’s a long shot actually," he said.

He said it will be difficult for the so-called "final push" to get off the ground in the first place because a Constituent Assembly will require both Houses of Congress separately coming out with resolutions for a joint session.

He said he is willing to join other senators in filing a petition with the Supreme Court questioning the move of Malacañang and its House allies for their so-called Constituent Assembly.

In last Monday’s caucus, the participants agreed to scrap the May 11 elections and hold instead elections for parliament in November.

Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel said the insistence of Malacañang and its allies at the House to push for charter change was meant to save administration candidates from "inevitable crushing defeat" in next year’s elections.

"The people are fed up with the misrule of President Arroyo. They are wary of voting for candidates identified with her," he said.
Pimentel said the prospect of the administration losing control of the House after losing its grip on the Senate is giving President Arroyo and her allies sleepless nights because this could lead to her removal from office through impeachment by an opposition-dominated Congress.

Majority leader Francis Pangilinan said: "Maawa naman sila sa taong bayan at sa bansa na masyado ng bugbog-sarado sa mga kwestyonableng maniobra na isinasagawa ng iilang pulitiko upang manatili lamang sa hawak nilang poder at kapangyarihan. Ituloy na ang halalan."

"Masyado nang puwersahan kapag ipinilit pa ang Con-ass na gahol na sa panahon at gahol pa sa legalidad. Hindi lamang kulang na kulang sa oras, kundi kulang na kulang sa legalidad ang nasabing hakbang," he added.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said the proposal for a Constituent Assembly would completely lose public support "if rammed through by means of a juggernaut in the House of Representatives."

She said that even if there is constitutionality in the argument of her colleagues at the House, "they might win the battle to start the proceedings… they might win that battle but they might lose the war, meaning the plebiscite."

‘IMMORAL’

Outgoing Senators Franklin Drilon and Ramon Magsaysay Jr. rejected as "immoral" the move of Malacañang and the House of Representatives to scrap the May elections.

Drilon said the proposal was a desperate attempt to forestall an opposition sweep.

Magsaysay said proponents of the cancellation could face the wrath of the people if elections were deferred.
"It’s immoral to extend our terms," Magsaysay said.

Other last-termers are Senators Sergio Osmeña and Juan Flavier.

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile said the Palace and congressmen are ignorant of the Constitution.

"It (election) is mandated by the Constitution. Hindi basta-basta puwedeng i-cancel," he said.

REAL COLORS

House minority leader Francis Escudero said Malacañang showed its real colors when it announced the plan to scrap the elections.
"At least lumabas na ang katotohanan sa matagal na panahong sinasabi namin na isa lang ang pakay ng cha-chang ito, i-postpone ang halalan, palawigin ang termino ng mga opisyal na kakampi ng Pangulo," he said in a television interview.

Escudero said Malacañang and its allies at the House are "desecrating" the Constitution by "immorally" forcing the amendments to the Charter by insisting these can be undertaken solely by the House.

"Para sa akin ay nakakahiya at lantarang pambabastos sa batas ang gagawin nilang yan at buo ang pag-asa namin na kapag ito ay dinala sa Korte Suprema, magde-desisyon ang Korte Suprema ng naaayon sa batas at kontra dito naman sa panibagong inimbentong batas na isinisulong nila na voting as one," he said.

The United Opposition (UNO) would seek a ruling from the Supreme Court if administration allies insisted on amending the rules on Con-ass.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, UNO president, said another option is to stage protests.

He said what the administration allies are bent on pursuing is no different from the ill-fated move of Sigaw ng Bayan and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines to amend the Constitution through a People’s Initiative.

"They are no different from each other. It’s the same dog with the same collar," he said.

NO CONGRESS NEXT YEAR

Commission on Elections chair Benjamin Abalos said there will be no Congress next year if Charter change proponents succeed in pushing the scrapping of the senatorial and congressional elections.

Abalos said the congressmen, whose terms will expire next year, can no longer extend their terms, thus, creating the possibility of having no congressmen elected and resulting in the automatic abolition of the House.

The Senate, on the other hand, will have 12 remaining members as their term will end in 2010.

Abalos said the elections will push through as scheduled because the Comelec has yet to receive a formal resolution from Congress.
"I think it is too premature to talk about it," he said.

Abalos said the poll body needs to receive a resolution from Congress before it can call off the elections and prepare for a plebiscite.

RESISTANT TO THE IDEA

Presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio said administration congressmen are pushing Charter change because it would be "extremely difficult" to do once a new batch of senators is elected in May 2007.

Claudio said the new set of senators would naturally be resistant to the idea, especially if it would be about changing the form of government.

"That is the reason. It’s important that charter change is effected before the elections. But not for the purpose of canceling the elections but simply having a different kind of election, an election that will this time be for members of parliament," he said.

He said based on attendance in the three caucuses in Malacañang – which is 191 – "it looks like Congress has the numbers to conduct a Constituent Assembly as claimed by some of the Congress leaders."

Claudio said media reports about the proposal to cancel the May elections and hold parliamentary elections in November 2007 are "unfair."

"This is not the essence of charter change. This is not the purpose of the Con-ass," he said.

"Charter change and Con-ass is not about extending the terms of elected officials. It’s not about postponing, let alone canceling elections. It is for basic political structural reforms," he said.

SINCERE INTENTIONS

He said there was no effort on the part of the House to withhold any information, as shown by the fact that the issues and proposals are being discussed openly.

"The intentions are sincere and well meaning and consistent with the true essence of charter change," he said.
He said Malacañang is aware that petitions will be filed before the Supreme Court questioning the move of the House to convene a Con-ass.

He said the ideal timeline is to convene the Con-ass by Dec. 9 or 10 so that a plebiscite could be held before Feb. 12, 2007. This would be followed by parliamentary elections in November.

Administration congressmen are not only keen on amending the charter but also the House rules to speed up the approval of Speaker Jose de Venecia’s resolution convening a Con-ass.

De Venecia said that a proposed new constitution would be drawn up by Dec. 15. – With Dennis Gadil, Wendell Vigilia, Ashzel Hachero, Gerard Naval and Jocelyn Montemayor