by Diego B. Ledda , Jr. (Editor, Downtown Lights, official weekly bulletin of the Rotary Club of Downtown Dagupan)
You call it people’s initiative or government’s initiative? Neither one nor the other can stand. The Supreme Court’s decision on the Santiago VS. COMELEC case is very clear: people’s initiative needs an enabling law in order to be acted upon, that is, in order to amend or likely to revise the Constitution. This inadequacy of the law has not changed since the Congress has yet to pass a law that will make people’s initiative work. Why the rush?
The signature campaign has so many flaws to start with. Firstly, the signatures must be verified by a competent institution and that is the COMELEC, but the Supreme Court has barred the COMELEC permanently from entertaining or taking cognizance of any petition for initiative related to amendments or revisions of the Constitution until a sufficient law is enacted by Congress. Hence, there is already a waste of time, money and effort for those who push for the amendment. Secondly, COMELEC has no Implementing Rules and Regulations that will allow them to verify all the signatures of the 5.2 million signatures including those that are not listed in the COMELEC list of voters. Thirdly, there are reports that there so many anomalies in gathering signatures where none-voters and even elementary and high school students signed.
Our government and the Sigaw ng Bayan led by fellow Pangasinense, Atty. Raul Lambino, a former coordinator of Sen. Loren Legarda, said that the voice of the 5.2 million people must be heard and followed, “vox populi, vox dei?” The voice of the people is the voice of God. Which is easier to understand, the law of man or the law of God? If the law of man is very difficult for them to understand, how much more of God’s? Does it mean that if one can generate 5.2 million it can also change the VAT law or any other laws for that matter?
When ex-President Fidel V. Ramos introduced the cha-cha, he merely asked for his term to be extended. And the people rejected it. When ex-President Joseph Estrada introduced the cha-cha, he merely introduced economic reforms. And the people rejected it. Today, GMA is asking practically the change of the Constitution. If only the government or this group will tell to the people that the rush to change of Constitution is for GMA to immediately step down from office, I believe one does not need for restiveness from the people, I guess they will go out voluntarily and sign all papers that will be offered to them.
But I guess, the reason behind the change of Constitution is deeply personal to the vested interests of few politicians. Why change a Constitution that restricts and control the actions of bad leaders. The argument that our country is not moving fast forward because of the political structure of the country is a fallacy. Ex-President Ramos, at least, disproved that myth. What we need to change are our leaders who try to make the Constitution as scapegoat out of their inefficiencies and ineptitudes.
Adopting the parliamentary form of government under the present administration will only blindly rob us faster than what we think. These people can mystify our liberties and pursue their egoistic interests in a much hasty phase. Why? Because they confuse the people about the allegory that their resolutions would be quicker, laws are easier to pass, economic progress is better achieved and as if being under parliamentary system will eliminate poverty of the people instantly.
Folks, the root cause of the problem of this country is not our Constitution, but our ghastly and horrific leaders. It is not the system of our government, but the people we placed in the system of our government. The people serving for the government must fit the needs of the people not the system fitting to the government officials.
If only GMA has not committed big blunders and mistakes, will we come into this sort of awful situation? If only she has been true to the (present) Constitution she has sworn to protect, we will not be a divided nation and people.
Amending the Constitution is OK, provided, our leaders will change their attitudes and think and act towards the greatness of this country, not act to stall themselves in a pedestal they do not deserve. But let it be done via a Constitutional Convention where the people will freely select the framers of our Constitution.