Amid calamity, congressmen find time to push for Charter change

MANILA, Philippines - Amid hunger, devastation and calamity, congressmen found time yesterday to push for their Charter change (Cha-cha) initiative.

Upon recommendation of the House constitutional amendments committee, the appropriations committee approved a bill authorizing the expenditure of taxpayers’ money for the convening of a constitutional convention (con-con) next year.

The appropriations panel, however, rejected the other committee’s proposal for a P2-billion appropriation for the election and maintenance of the envisioned convention that would revise the Constitution.

Quirino Rep. Junie Cua, appropriations committee chairman, told reporters that the money needed for the election of convention delegates would be taken from the savings of the Commission on Elections.

It would be conducted simultaneously with the election of barangay officials in October next year to save on costs, he said.

“The convening of the convention, on the other hand, could take place in January 2011 so we won’t have to appropriate public funds for that purpose for next year,” he said.

Cua said his panel rejected the recommendation for a P2-billion appropriation “because we are cognizant of the funding requirements of typhoon victims and areas devastated by floods.”

“They are our priority, not the planned constitutional convention,” he stressed.

The committee on constitutional amendments, chaired by Rep. Victor Ortega of La Union, one of the provinces affected by typhoon “Pepeng,” endorsed the con-con mode of amending the Constitution after the constituent assembly (con-ass) option failed.

Under the Ortega panel’s proposal, convention delegates would be elected on Oct. 25, 2010, five months after the combined presidential, congressional and local elections in May.

Each congressional district would have one delegate. Delegates would have no salary but would be entitled to a P2,000 per diem for every day of attendance in the convention or any of its committees, and travel expenses.

Elected delegates would convene at the session hall of the House of Representatives on the third Monday of November 2010 with the Supreme Court chief justice presiding temporarily until a presiding officer is elected.

It is not clear where the delegates would hold their sessions after they are convened.

Given the onslaught of typhoons, the Senate is not expected to agree to the expenditure of public funds for Cha-cha at this time.

It has consistently refused to cooperate with the House in its con-ass initiative.

Before they adjourned their second regular session in June, congressmen adopted Resolution 1109, which calls on “members of Congress” to meet as a constituent assembly to consider Cha-cha proposals.

They have not done so until now as it is obvious that they have already run out of time for Cha-cha through con-ass.