Palace on Cha-cha: Noy does not impose on Congress

MANILA, Philippines - It’s OK for the left hand to do something that the right hand can choose to ignore.

Malacañang yesterday said there is nothing wrong with President Aquino’s congressional allies pushing for Charter change, a move he has been opposing, because it has never been his habit to impose on lawmakers.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda cited the cases of the reproductive health and sin tax laws.

“In the case of RH (reproductive health law), he explained his position, he did not impose his views,” Lacierda told reporters.

“In the case of sin tax also, he shared with the allies his views... A number of bills he would let it really have a big discussion in the House.

“While they are allies, (Congress) is an independent branch of government. This is really the position taken by the President,” he added.

But reliable insiders both in the Palace and the House said that Aquino literally called up his allies in Congress when he learned that the RH bill was only around 10 votes shy of being passed.

Aquino persuaded his allies in the Liberal Party to change their votes, which was why results of the second reading – where the measure failed to pass – were superseded by the approval in the third and final reading at the House plenary.

As to the passage of the sin tax law, it is an open secret in Congress that no law is passed without the President’s imprimatur. Aquino himself has been vocal in his desire to increase taxes on cigarettes and liquor.

“I am very certain that the allies are very familiar with the position taken by the President,” Lacierda said, referring to the alleged habit of Aquino to let priority measures go through the legislative mill even without his blessings.

Earlier, Malacañang said that Aquino would adopt a hands-off policy on moves of his allies in Congress to lift prohibitive economic provisions in the Charter.

“For people to say that there should be presidential action on what the Congress is doing now is to tread on the issue of separation of powers, and the President is not minded toward interfering in the process of Congress,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.

He made the statement in the wake of the decision of the House leadership to approve at the committee level and send to plenary debates proposed changes in the economic provisions of the law.

Coloma reiterated the stand of Aquino against Charter change. The President sees no need for Cha-cha, citing as example China, which achieved high GDP growth despite its refusal to open lands to foreign ownership.

Foreigners, however, can lease land in China for up to 99 years.