CHARTER CHANGE MEANT TO PROTECT GMA
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. (PDP-Laban) today warned that
the proposal to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution is
being used by the administration to camouflage the real purpose of Charter
Change which is to serve the selfish interest of President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo.
Pimentel said that the administration’s hidden agenda for Charter Change
originally called for allowing the President to stay in power beyond 2010 by
lifting the term limits on elective officials and adopting a unicameral
parliamentary system of government.
But he said the administration has apparently dropped the plan to lift term
limits after realizing that it will not work in the face of public outrage
over the obnoxious proposal.
The administration, according to the minority leader, has changed tack by
now aiming to insert an “impunity clause” that will protect the president
from suits even after stepping down.
“It is not true that they will concentrate only on the economic provisions.
They want an impunity provision that will assure that the immunity privilege
that Gloria enjoys will continue even after her term,” Pimentel said.
“Now they are having cold feet in pushing for term extension because the
devious purpose of that has become too obvious. Instead they are thinking of
a way by which the immunity of the President will continue even after her
term. They may try to surreptitiously put an impunity clause at the last
minute.”
He said the administration is trying to mislead lawmakers and the Filipino
people into backing Charter Change by making it appear that it is mainly
aimed at amending the economic provisions to make the country attractive to
foreign investments.
Commenting on a report that the House leadership will attempt to railroad
the approval of the Palace-sponsored resolution to convene a Constituent
Assembly, Pimentel doubted whether it will succeed in the face of reports
that many of the 178 congressmen who have signed the resolution are
vacillating on their stand.
He said these congressmen are contemplating on withdrawing their support for
Charter Change if the plan is to allow the House of Representatives to
unilaterally amend the Constitution in view of the Senate’s unanimous
objection.
“They are probably aware that majority of their constituents frown on
Charter Change and they face the risk of losing their reelection bid in 2010
if they keep on supporting this very unpopular proposal,” the opposition
leader said.
Pimentel noted that some administration congressmen like Iloilo Rep. Arthur
Defensor and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman have openly defied the administration’s
Charter Change plan. A Lakas faction led by former Speaker Jose de Venecia,
Jr. is also opposed to Charter Change.
The senator from Mindanao said he has opted to put his proposal for a
federal system government in freezer because he did not want the
administration to cash in on this well-meaning scheme in order to gain
support for a fake version of Charter Change.
Date: April 20, 2009
Ref: Omeng Maglangit / (02) 5526733 |
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