From my recent blog post “One year to God knows what”:
A brief two-sentence background: The 1987 Philippine Constitution limits the president to a single term of 6 years. Therefore, the current president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, cannot run in 2010 (unless they do something crazy like change up the constitution through Charter Change or something like that).
Well, after what happened today, that “something crazy” might actually happen. Excerpts from the full Inquirer article follow. Also check out my Kuya Carlo’s new media blog post re: some politicians micro-blogging their feelings on HR 1109 via Facebook.
| House rams through Con-ass resolution Nograles: Arroyo told allies to push HR 1109 |
| By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Leila Salaverria, Lira Dalangin-Fernandez Reporter Philippine Daily Inquirer INQUIRER.net |
| Posted date: June 03, 2009 |
MANILA, Philippines—Using their massive numbers, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s allies in the House of Representatives Tuesday night crushed all objections and passed a resolution setting up a constituent assembly (Con-ass) amid opposition warnings it would allow Ms Arroyo to stay in power beyond 2010.In a marathon session that dragged toward midnight, a former administration stalwart, ousted Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., lambasted the majority vote as “a charade.” (…) Approval of House Resolution No. 1109 empowered Congress to convene itself into a Con-ass in which members of the House and the Senate would vote jointly—not separately—to amend the 1987 Constitution. Senators have said this would render the upper chamber inutile because the larger House membership could override any Senate objections to proposed amendments. “This means that under 1109, we are opening the entire Constitution to amendments …. This is where Malacañang’s agenda to keep President Arroyo in power will come in,” Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño warned the chamber before the House leadership pushed through with the vote. (…) He said the members of the majority voted for HR 1109 on pain of losing their pork barrel. He said one of the sponsors of the resolution had admitted on the floor that the “whereas clause” in the resolution that prohibits the term extension of the incumbent president and vice president, senators, congressmen, mayors and other elected officials whose term will expire in 2010, and that there would be elections in 2010 was “not binding.” (…) Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan called the proceedings a “night of ignominy” where the administration allies once again used their numbers to push their agenda. “Tonight we witnessed a railroading,” Ilagan declared on the floor. (…) With the resolution’s passage, Nueva Ecija Rep. Eduardo Nonato Joson likened the country to a woman fighting off a rapist, saying “Huwag po kuya [Please don’t, sir].” “Let us not gang rape our Constitution,” he said. (…) After an early afternoon caucus, the majority decided to tackle HR 1109 ahead of the other contentious measures pending on the floor, such as the bills on the right of reply and on the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Speaker Prospero Nograles then announced that the Tuesday plenary session would be devoted to HR 1109. As of 4:30 p.m., 211 lawmakers were present. Critics have also warned that HR 1109 is a veiled attempt to stop the May 2010 elections and lift term limits on elected officials, including Ms Arroyo. The original author of the measure, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte, had withdrawn support for it. He said he expected the resolution to be challenged in the Supreme Court. (…) Arroyo’s tacit approval The President herself gave tacit approval for Lakas-Kampi-CMD allies in the House to push for the passage of HR 1109, according to Nograles. He said the decision to push for HR 1109 over his own HR 737—which seeks to lift constitutional limits on foreign investments through regular legislation, or the “fourth mode” of Charter change—was reached during the official merger on Thursday of the ruling parties Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats and Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi). “The leaders of Lakas and Kampi decided in that meeting that this is one of the things that we will push for. I will not deny that she (the President) was present when we decided on that, but she did not say anything,” Nograles said in an interview. (…) ‘That’s nothing’ Informed late Tuesday of the House plenary discussions on HR 1109, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile responded with a shrug. “Wala yun (That’s nothing). How can they do it?” he told reporters. Enrile reiterated the senators’ position that the House move to amend the Constitution without Senate participation was “an exercise in futility.” “They need the Senate,” he said. “It’s impossible for them to accomplish that. Huwag ninyo nang pag-abalahan yan (Don’t bother with it).” (…) ‘Easy’ resolution (…)Asked if the constituent assembly would be convened after the approval of HR 1109, Nograles said he did not think so. “Maybe after we come back [at the resumption of the session]. Maybe after the SONA (State of the Nation Address),” he said. If HR 1109 is approved, Nograles will call for a leadership meeting to discuss the next steps. “It would have to be implemented. How, I don’t know,” he said. Interior Secretary Puno said the Philippines would “completely lose its credibility” before the international community if it flip-flopped on its assurance on the holding of elections next year. (…) |
