Alex Magno, in his column in The Philippine Star today, lauds the audacity of the House of Representatives to convene itself into a constituent assembly, and continues to mock the minority for their supposed lack of intellectual capacity.
He also questions the ability of the Supreme Court to intervene in what he calls, "an internal matter concerning one branch of government."
He applauds the "tyranny of numbers" which has stymied any and all efforts of the minority to stop the Charter Change "juggernaut". He belittles the minority for being unable to come up with an effective counter-strategy against the juggernaut. He conveniently forgets the unicameral rubber stamp that was the Batasang Pambansa during Marcos' time; maybe it's that what he misses.
He also forgets that the Supreme Court can and probably will rule on the House's actions. This is because the House has cited Art. XVII Section 1(1) of the Constitution, which states that "Any amendment to or revision of the Constitution may be proposed by the Congress upon a vote of three-fourths of all its Members." It will be this provision which anti-Charter Change advocates will question before the Court, and the Court can rule on it, since it involves an interpretation of the Constitution.
It's appalling that an intellectual like Magno would lend credence to the travesty that the House is attempting. But then again, he was with the administration from its very inception, and it is understandable that he would defend something he helped build. However, by doing so, he seems more and more like a propagandist, much like Hitler's Joseph Goebbels.
Still, there are times when Magno apparently contradicts himself. Manuel Quezon III notes that Magno once wrote, "As the world rushes aid to the victims of the Leyte landslide, why are the political players of Manila more engrossed with power grabs?" Well, the Bicol region is reeling from the devastation wrought by typhoon "Reming," and where is Albay 1st District's representative Edcel Lagman? Staying up all night into the wee hours of the morning defending a naked power grab by the forces of Speaker Joe de Venecia. Oh, but Magno will probably say that Rep. Lagman is participating in a noble exercise, and is above such petty concerns such as entire families buried under mudslides. The fate of the country is at hand; his constituents can wait.
He wants intellectual articulation on the side of the minority? Let Dean Jorge Bocobo answer him; I've placed links to the pertinent entries of Dean Bocobo's blog below.
Proposed Rules of the Constituent Assembly: Insufficient in Substance
The Hardest Thing To See Is The Obvious
House Amends Its Rules On Exercising Constituent Power
A Vote on a House Resolution Does Not Poll ALL the Members of Congress
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