Readings on Charter Change

With the buzz over the House of Representatives' vote over House Resolution 1109 rapidly increasing, I thought it would be prudent to let others speak on this issue, having already written about it in previous posts.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer, in its editorial today, lambastes the House for its shameful vote, and points an accusing finger at the President as the prime mover of Charter Change.

Columnist Amando Doronilla notes that, without the participation of the Senate, HR 1109 is a worthless document, while Neal Cruz calls for the ouster of those Representatives who voted for the resolution. ABS-CBN's Ricky Carandang gladly provides the list; sadly, my district's representative, Mary Ann Susano (2nd District, Quezon City) is on the list.

Constitutionalist Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ, in a column he wrote in April, makes a compelling argument as to why the two houses of Congress must vote separately.

Former UP Law Dean Raul Pangalanan observes, with bitter amusement, that the formation of a constituent assembly will cause anti-Charter Change advocates to oppose what is, on the surface, a democratic plebiscite; of course, having seen the Malacanang voting machine in action, we know what sort of democratic vote will emerge.

In a rare show of lucid thought, the Daily Tribune's Ninez Cacho-Olivarez provides a possible scenario of how the Charter Change proponents will act on HR 1109.

Philippine Star columnist Jarius Bondoc wonders aloud whether the Supreme Court is truly in the President's pocket, and whether they will give credibility to the House's actions, while Cito Beltran suggests other means than protests to address the issue. Atty. Jose Sison takes a break from writing about interesting law cases to weigh in on the issue, and calls for the formation of a unicameral legislature to replace the damaged Congress.

Some of the columns listed above, particularly in the Philippine Star, have provisions for comments, and it's interesting to note that there are those who do believe that Charter Change must be done now. However, given the rapacity of our government, it is clear that Charter Change at this time will bear poisoned fruit, as it has been noted that there is so much damage that the government can do should it be allowed to revise the Charter to suit its selfish needs. Therefore, we must continue to oppose the moves of this corrupt government to further subjugate our people.