Cha–Cha On The Rocks

by ERNESTO T. SOLIDUM

On May 9, Saturday’s event at the weekly Kapehan sa Aklan had a hot topic of paramount importance to all Filipinos. At stake is nature and timing of the proposed amendment/revision to the 1987 Constitution. The panelists were former Cong. Atty. Allen S. Quimpo and former Vice Gov. Atty. Ronquillo C. Tolentino.

Atty. Tolentino cited present H.B. No. 737 authored by Speaker Propero Nograles’ 4th mode of amending the Constitution through a three fourths votes of Congress and the Senate instead of simple majority vote. "Its persistence and timing when the term of office of the tenant at Malacañang expires in 2010 makes it unpalatable if not horrible," pointed out Tolentino.

Turning to Jose N. Nolledo, a constitutionalist, there are only three methods of amending or revising the Constitution namely: 1) By Congress by a vote of three fourths of all its members; 2) By a constitutional convention either called by two thirds votes of all its members or approved by the electorate in a referendum; and 3) By the people through a system of initiative under the condition set forth in Section 2 of the instant Article.
While the 1987 Constitution is peppered with 1001 errors and inadequacies, we can not simply allow controversial amendments that forfeit our national patrimony to foreigners. The Filipino people must be given a sufficient period of awareness, knowledge and discussion of the proposed amendment. Tolentino is batting for election of delegates to a Constitutional Convention set after the 2010 elections.

Atty. Quimpo warned of people with vested interests in Congress. The timing of H.B. 737 is covertly for the per-petuation of PGMA in power after 2010. The Constitution must be an instrument for the progress and not retro-gression. He noted that Americans changed their Constitution 18 times only in its more than 400 years of democratic existence.

Mainstay speakers like Juan A. Dayang, Pres. PAPI, Dr. Ambrosio R. Villorente, Pres. APCI and Dr. Gabriel Delfin, Dean, Institute of Policy Studies, NVC took turns in denouncing protracted and sinister attempts of mangling the Consti-tutional process. Concerns were also aired by masscom students of Northwestern Visayan Colleges over proposed amendments meant to give unlimited access and control by foreigners of our economy and natural resources.

A cursory review on constitutional amend-ments in the past show foiled constituent assembly in May 1957, April 1966 and June 1969. This was followed by Consultative Commission proposing for unicameral parliament and May 2002 National Political Summit pro-posing amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

While the above political moves may have its own merits, it was crafted by high minded individuals whose visions do not reflect the peoples’ interest, aspirations, and need. There is widespread demand that the 1987 Constitution be revised to attune it to the times of trade globalization, cyberspace commu-nication, global warming, population planning, security threats, and others. However, processes involved must be transparent, participative and informative. Perhaps with the forthcoming poll automation, election of constitutional convention delegates could be synchronized with the 2010 Presidential elections in order to save time and money. It will provide wide range of participation and ample study which provisions of the 1987 Constitution to amend. /MP