Opposition asked not to ‘muddle’ Cha-cha issue

Provincial governors called on the opposition yesterday not to "muddle" the substantial issues of Charter change by dragging the controversies involving President Arroyo into the Cha-cha table.

"With this issue, we forget to talk about the substance of Charter change which is to improve the lives of Filipinos. Let us not muddle the issue," said Nueva Ecija Gov. Tomas Joson III, executive vice president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP).

As Joson vowed that the LPP will continue with efforts "to explain Cha-cha to the people," young professionals and entrepreneurs belonging to the Junior Chamber International Philippines (Jaycees) have linked forces with the National Youth Commission (NYC) in mounting a massive information campaign on constitutional reforms starting next month.

The campaign aims to help young Filipinos better understand the proposed parliamentary shift via the people’s initiative mode of making changes in the 1987 Constitution.

At the same time, some 200 labor leaders allied with the moderate Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) have joined the people’s initiative drive.

Raul Lambino, spokesman for the pro-Cha-cha Sigaw ng Bayan Movement, said the labor leaders represent thousands of workers in over 100 companies. Sigaw ng Bayan is a multi-sectoral coalition of nongovernment organizations, people’s associations and local officials for Cha-cha.

Lambino noted the labor leaders have expressed their support for the proposed shift to a parliamentary system of government because they believe it would lead to a stable political climate for the country that is conducive to rapid economic growth.

The Cha-cha initiative has been stymied largely due to objections from the opposition and other Arroyo critics. According to Joson, the opposition has been claiming that the Malacañang backed Cha-cha drive was a smokescreen to let Mrs. Arroyo get away with poll fraud.

As they continue to attack the President on her alleged cheating to win the 2004 presidential election, the opposition is more amenable to Mrs. Arroyo relinquishing power to allow for early parliamentary elections.

Lambino meanwhile said that shifting to parliamentary system would clear the way for more amendments to the Constitution that will remove its protectionist, outmoded economic provisions.

"They realize that only through sweeping reforms via Charter change, which, among others, would lift the ban on foreign ownership, can our economy haul in more investments and create more quality, better-paying jobs," Lambino said.

These advocacy drives by Jaycees, NYC, and Sigaw ng Bayan are on top of the planned nationwide information blitz on Cha-cha by the 1.7 million strong Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) after Labor Day on May 1.