MANILA – Pro-Arroyo lawmakers used their “tyranny of numbers” to ram through the House of Representatives a controversial resolution which calls for Charter-change (Cha-cha) by amending the 1987 Constitution.
The resolution, introduced by Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr. of Davao City in Mindanao, seeks to convene the House into a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) to achieve Cha-cha without the participation of the Senate.
Administration legislators, who dominate the chamber, voted to approve the measure by acclamation shortly before midnight on Tuesday during a marathon session amid denunciations from the opposition of the “shameless” use of “tyranny of numbers.”
But Cha-cha critics and other concerned quarters alleged that the administration lawmakers went out of their way to approve the resolution because they were promised by Malacanang the immediate release of their “pork barrel” allocations in exchange for their support.
Ironically, what appeared to hasten the approval of the measure was when the House approved a motion presented by an opposition leader, Congressman Didagen Dilangalen of Maguindanao province in Mindanao, to cut short the debates because of the “repetitive” arguments presented by the anti-Cha-cha legislators.
As a result, opposition members demanded the ouster from their ranks of Dilangalen, who is the deputy House minority leader for Mindanao.
The opposition also charged that the approval of the resolution sidetracked House action on other vital and other pressing pieces of legislation, foremost of which is the bill which seeks to extend for another five years the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Programme (Carp).
However, Nograles insisted that with the Cha-cha resolution already approved, the House would devote its remaining time in tackling Carp and other major pending bills before Congress adjourns for a month-long break on Friday.
The speaker pointed out the House would approve Carp even if it meant going through another marathon session. On Tuesday, the Senate approved on third and final reading the bill which was certified as urgent by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her message to Congress.
But reliable and knowledgeable sources noted that even if the House would finally approve its version on the extension of Carp, which lapsed on December 30, 2008, this does not mean its automatic transmission to Malacanang for signature into law by President Arroyo.
The sources, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, explained that the bill still has to undergo the process of going through a bicameral committee where selected representatives from the House and the Senate are to meet and resolve the conflicting versions of their bill.
Unless President Arroyo calls Congress to a special session to act on Carp and other pending vital measures, the Carp bill will have to await action when the House and the Senate resume session on July 27, the sources pointed out.
This developed as the senators tended to ignore the passage of the Cha-cha resolution as they maintained that convening the House into a Constituent Assembly without the participation of the Senate is illegal and constitutional.
Legal experts, headed by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, emphasized that under the Constitution, Congress refers to the House and the Senate and in this light, the congressmen could not go it alone to amend the Constitution.
For opposition Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, the Cha-cha resolution only shows the real motive of the administration lawmakers, which is “GF,” meaning “Gloria Forever,” in obvious reference to President Arroyo.
Earlier, critics warned that Cha-cha aims to extend the stay of President Arroyo in Malacanang beyond 2010 when her term expires by changing the form of government from the present presidential system to federal-parliamentary.
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my congress woman of the 4th district of QC is among those who voted for con ass! ang gagaling nila, sobra! grrrrr!
D ka naman galit nyan? Hehe. Grrr nga! Mga kutong tinubuan ng buhok mga yan!
[...] sources, who belong to the pro-Arroyo camp in the House, said the plan to ram Cha-cha through the House was hatched immediately after President Arroyo presided over the merger of the country’s two [...]