Congress leaders asked to stop setting deadlines for parliament

PEOPLE’S INITIATIVE GOODNEWS BEARERS Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado, national president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines and Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, bares the favorable endorsement given by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines for the on-going people’s consultations conducted by ULAP on Charter Change in a press conference. Aumentado, who recently held a one-on-one meeting with CBCP President and Jaro Bishop Angel Lagdameo in Iloilo is joined in the media briefing by Atty. Raul Lambino, Sigaw ng Bayan spokesman, who disclosed that a great majority of the participants in the charter consultations favor the adoption of a unicameral parliament. Only 17 of 79 provinces remain in the ULAP nationwide schedule. (Source: www.sigawngbayan.com)

LPP national president Gov. Erico B. Aumentado cautioned congressional leaders against setting timelines relative to the establishment of an interim parliament because there are still several factors to be considered.

The LPP and the ULAP have completed its constitutional summit and education drive on the merits of charter change.
Aumentado explained that the nationwide campaign of ULAP and LPP with the Sigaw ng Bayan is intended to blunt criticism that the proposal on charter change was pushed in haste without the necessary education campaign.

He went on that congressional leaders should refrain from setting timelines because the Comelec is still validating the signatures gathered by Sigaw ng Bayan and its coalition partners, and with some critical areas having some legal obstacles to overcome.

The Sigaw ng Bayan Coalition has initiated the signature campaign in order to petition for the amendment of the constitution through a people’s initiative.

Moreover, the Sigaw ng Bayan coalition, or any NGO for that matter, has not filed any petition for people’s initiative before the Comelec, thus, it is too early for congressional leaders to crow about the establishment of an interim parliament.

Aumentado said that the LPP foresees the possibility of a legal battle before the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the people’s initiative which could take time to resolve.

The league believes, however, that in the final analysis of the issue, the High Court would give due consideration to the voice of the people as the supreme law of the land.

The LPP president likewise said that the league would rather give the Senate and the House of Representatives a chance to agree on convening a constitional assembly as a way to amend the Charter.

“Both houses of Congress must work now with sincerity to resolve their differences for the sake of the country and our people. Otherise, the LPP would support people’s initiative as a mode of amending the Constitution to stop the deadlock between the executive and legislative – particularly the Senate – departments which has long hampered the economic and political reforms the country needs to move ahead,” Aumentado said.

Instead of focusing on the establishment of the interim parliament, he called on congressional leaders to join all efforts to educate the people on the merits of charter change in order to prepare them properly to vote during the plebiscite, if at all the issue of constitutional amendments can be given to the people.

“After all, in the final analysis, it will be the people who will decide on cha-cha,” Aumentado added. (ANGELICA J. SANCHEZ)

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