De Venecia: Accept Cha-cha or risk coup

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. told the nation yesterday that it has to accept Cha-cha (Charter change) now or face the possibility of a military takeover.

He told Cha-cha supporters at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan that unless the country shifts to a unicameral parliamentary system soon, the inability of its leaders to solve its problems and "destructive politics might lead to authoritarian rule."

Hinting that the 2004 presidential elections should be canceled, he said the presidential system "is not worthwhile for Philippine democracy, with our history of boom and bust."

Reacting to De Venecia’s statement, Minority Leader Carlos Padilla (LDP, Nueva Vizcaya) said: "The hidden agenda behind this resurrected Cha-cha initiative is now becoming apparent. The Arroyo administration, fearing defeat in 2004, wants the elections deferred to 2007 under a parliamentary system."

"They are making it appear that we Filipinos have no choice but to choose between two evils. Of course, we have other choices. We can change the leaders who have failed us in the next elections, and consider Cha-cha later," Padilla stressed.

For his part, Maguinda-nao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen said there is nothing wrong with the presidential system of government.

The defect lies not in the system but in the country’s leaders who have once again brought the nation to the brink of economic di-saster, said Dilangalen, a staunch ally of ousted President Joseph Estrada.

De Venecia said that besides the possibility of a military takeover, many sectors of the population fear that if the 2004 presidential elections are pushed through, movie stars and media personalities might emerge victorious.

One widely popular movie star being rumored as a strong possible opponent of President Arroyo is Fernando Poe Jr., who placed second behind former education secretary Raul Roco in a recent survey of pollster Pulse Asia as potential winning presidential candidates. Mrs. Arroyo was a poor fourth in that survey, behind Sen. Noli de Castro.

De Venecia said Cha-cha proponents and supporters will hold a summit next month to consider a shift to the French-type parliamentary system in 2007 "with a three-year transition period," during which the terms of all elective officials would be extended.

He said Mrs. Arroyo and other political leaders and representatives of various sectors would be invited to the summit.

De Venecia said the presidential system "has not enabled Filipinos to put the economy in full development throttle."

Among the Cha-cha proponents and supporters who assembled at Club Filipino yesterday were Sen. Robert Barbers, Western Samar Rep. Eduardo Antonio Nachura, Representatives Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, Gerry Espina of Biliran and Prospero Nograles of Davao City, and Carmen Pedrosa of Pirma (People’s Initiative for Reform, Modernization and Action) fame.

They agreed to organize the Consultative Group for Constitutional Reform and signed a one-paragraph manifesto that declares: "Salvation of the country lies in changing the Constitution now."

Representative Barbers said the present Charter "does not enable us to cope with current global trends."

Padilla also described the ruling party’s renewed Cha-cha move as a "futile exercise since no less than Senate President Franklin Drilon has pronounced publicly that the Senate won’t agree to a postponement of the 2004 elections."

"Without the Senate’s acquiescence, the elections cannot be postponed and the Constitution cannot be amended," he said.