‘My term’s fate up to Congress’

President Arroyo is leaving it up to Congress — sitting as a constituent assembly or any other constitutional-amending body — to decide whether to cut short or modify the remaining five years of her term when it changes the country’s form of government to a parliamentary-federal system.

Mrs. Arroyo also announced she would form a commission to help gather a consensus on Charter change and assist Congress in its work. She has ordered an administrative order drafted to create the panel.

"In my statements, I have given my opinion on what should be the content of the new Constitution, but in the end it’s the decision body that is tasked by the present Constitution to amend our Charter," Mrs. Arroyo said. "They have the exclusive prerogative on the mode and content, and I don’t want to preempt their decision."

"If Congress sits as a constituent assembly, in the end, it will be their decision and I don’t want to speculate on the details that would come out," she said when asked how she would reconcile her call to change the country’s form of government with her firm decision not to step down from office.

Mrs. Arroyo pushed for constitutional amendments in her State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday, calling for a constituent assembly — in which Congress convenes as a special body — to make the amendments.

She said the current US-style presidential system has been politically divisive and a hindrance to the country’s economic recovery efforts.

As proposed by Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and local executives, a constituent assembly can finish its work — including transitory provisions for the shift in the form of government — in a matter of months and have the elections for the members of parliament as early as next year or 2007 to coincide with the local and congressional elections.

De Venecia, who first revealed to the public Mrs. Arroyo’s willingness to "modify" her term by constitutional means, said the shift to a parliamentary system would be her "biggest legacy."

Mrs. Arroyo said while she would continue to carry out her economic reforms, the more difficult reforms in the political system must also be undertaken.

She said political crises would continue to plague the country unless the current political system is changed. "Our political system really deteriorated over the years so these (crises) are the fruits. So we really have to make a fundamental change," she said during the SONA.

Presidential Management Staff chief Rigoberto Tiglao said the drafters of the new Constitution would have to reconcile the fact that Mrs. Arroyo was duly elected by more than 12 million Filipinos with the pressing need for changes in the present form of government.

"There’s a legal question (as to) whether a new Constitution can supersede the mandate given to a President under an old Constitution," Tiglao said.

Mrs. Arroyo said she has instructed Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita to draft an administrative order to form a "consultative constitutional commission" that will suggest amendments to Congress following a series of consultations with experts from several sectors.

"But of course, Congress would have the final decision," the President said.

She named a former president of the University of the Philippines, Jose Abueva, as one of its members.

Former President Fidel Ramos suggested changing the country’s form of government to minimize political bickering shortly after the political crisis broke.

He said it would also give Mrs. Arroyo a "graceful exit" amid opposition-led calls for her resignation over allegations that she cheated during last year’s presidential election.

Mrs. Arroyo had been close to resigning just before several members of her Cabinet quit on July 8, civil society leader Angie Barrera claimed yesterday.

But she was persuaded to stay on by Vice President Noli de Castro and military and police officials.

"It was Thursday (July 7). She canceled her appointments because of the panic going on. She was 90 percent (ready) to resign by Thursday but Vice President De Castro, armed forces chief Gen. Efren Abu and national police chief Arturo Lomibao came and told her: ‘If you resign, we can’t assure you there would be no chaos,’" Barrera told reporters in a forum.

There was no immediate comment on the report from Malacañang officials. — Paolo Romero, Pia Lee-Brago