(MANILA BULLETIN)

The battle for hearts and minds on the controversial topic of Charter change (Cha-cha) continues to rage among members of the House of Representatives. 

A Cha-cha advocate from a province where a People's Initiative (PI) is gaining steam, Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda, has doubled down on his support for the movement. 

"I emphasize that the time to do constitutional reform is now, when we do not have to worry about this being a way to extend the President’s term," Salceda said in a statement Sunday afternoon, Jan. 14. 

The year 2024 is only the second full year of President Marcos' administration. He will step down on June 30, 2028. 

"The window for reform will close after the 2025 midterms, and we may have to start anew from scratch. We need to do this now," the Bicolano made this reiteration following remarks made by Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares in a news forum earlier that day. 

Colmenares said: “Bawal gumamit ng public funds sa isang [PI]. Hindi pwedeng gumamit dyan ng government funds. Illegal yan (You cannot use public for a PI. You cannot use government funds for that. That's illegal)." 

“This is one of the most dangerous Cha-cha. This is very well-funded. Biglang nagkaroon ng ads (All of a sudden, there are ads for it),” added the Makabayan member. 

The PI is currently Cha-cha advocates' preferred way to reach the promised land of constitutional revision. 

Incidentally, it's in Albay that support for the PI movement has been the loudest, as a reported 15 of the province’s 18 mayors favor amending the 1987 Constitution through this mode. 

Some pundits are convinced that through the PI--the success of which is dependent on the collection of signatures--the advocates would be able to break the deadlock between the House of Representatives and the Senate on how Congress (composed of the two chambers) will carry out the voting process. 

The PI campaign is not without its detractors within the House; the sitting members of the Makabayan bloc filed House Resolution (HR) No.1541, with seeks an investigation on the signature drive in relation to Cha-cha. 

"Ang dami na naming natatanggap na report tungkol sa panloloko sa pagpapaprima (We have received lots of reports regarding deception when it comes to collecting signatures)," said ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro. 

Salceda said that while the existing Charter did a lot of good for the country, it wasn't perfect. 

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https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/14/pro-farmer-party-list-joins-chorus-for-economic-cha-cha

"The 1987 Constitution reestablished democracy in form but not fully in substance. While reinstating political rights and choices, it heavily restricted economic choices--closing off opportunities for our people to defend their own civil liberties with widespread and equitable prosperity," he said. 

"As a result of these restrictive provisions, which severely curtailed foreign involvement in agriculture, media, large scale exploration for minerals and oil, the practice of professions, education, and advertising, the 1987 Constitution has entrenched post-EDSA economic elites into positions of uncontested economic power over labor, consumers, and the government," noted the economist-solon. 

Constitutional reforms, Salceda reckoned, are simply long overdue. 

"But all attempts at a bicameral process of amending the Constitution languish in the Senate. So the frustration of reform advocates and the move to initiate change through a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) voting jointly, is well-founded," he said. 

Salceda earlier said that it was "natural and normal" for democracies to revise their Constitutions in order to suit the evolving needs of the times. He cited as an example the United States (US) Constitution, which has been amended 27 times.  

"In contrast, we have not amended the 1987 Constitution for almost 40 years now, despite having provisions that obviously require revision. In many ways, we are unnatural for the way we hold the 1987 Constitution as if it were unerring," he said.