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Roxas challenges Palace to stop cha-cha

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by LYNDA JUMILLA, ABS-CBN News | 11/21/2008 8:52 PM

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Senator Manuel ‘Mar’ Roxas is no longer surprised that the charter change (cha-cha) express is well on its way in the House of Representatives.

After all, it comes on the heels of what was thought as a “trial balloon” floated by Press Secretary Jesus Dureza about extending President Arroyo’s stay in office. 

“Mukhang tinugunan ang taimtim na dasal ni Dureza. Di lang natin alam kung sinong diyos sumagot sa panalangin ni Secretary Dureza. Itong cha-cha, nagpapakita lang na manhid, out of touch itong gobyerno at mga kaalyado ng Pangulo,” Roxas says.

Majority of the senators reject the House’s contention it can amend the constitution without need of corresponding Senate action.

The constitution itself states “any amendment to or revision may be proposed by Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members.”

Pro-cha-cha congressmen have taken this to mean the combined votes of 238 congressmen and 23 senators, or 196 votes regardless of whether senators are involved.

But senators insist voting must be separate so that there should be 178 votes in the House and 18 in the Senate.

Senators vow to derail the cha-cha express.

“Lalabanan namin ang pagratsada at pagrailroad sa Con-Ass na ito na siyang magpapanatili sa mga kasalukuyang nakaupo,” Roxas says.

Reports are also rife that five to eight senators signed the House resolution on charter change via Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) to make it appear there was Senate participation in the process.

But Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. dismisses the idea that the charter can be amended by the two chambers voting jointly.

“We have a two-chamber congress. You can’t even amend a name of barangay by having one house do it, much less is it possible to amend the charter with one house and five senators. The act of the senators must be the act of the chamber, not the individual senators,” Pimentel says

In pushing for charter change, proponents in the House cite the need to open up certain industries to foreign ownership in light of the effects of the financial crisis.

But Roxas, who is a former investment banker, says there is not much investment abroad going on because the financial crisis is felt all over the world.

Roxas says that instead of putting their money overseas, investors are keeping it at home to prop up their own flagging economies.

Senators are also convinced the so-called “final push” for cha-cha has the President’s imprimatur despite denials by Malacañang.

They find it telling that among those reportedly pushing for charter change is the President’s own son Pampanga Congressman Mikey Arroyo.

Roxas says, if indeed the president has nothing to do with moves to amend the charter and extend her term, she should put a stop to the cha-cha express.

“Itigil na niya itong cha-cha na hindi naman makakatulong sa atin. Utusan niya ang mga kaalyado, ang kanyang anak na itigil na ang signature drive sa cha-cha,” he says.

 

as of 11/22/2008 4:51 AM

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