No retreat from economic reforms

He may never admit it, but public opinion -- expressed in protest rallies and, more recently, in a series of surveys -- forced President Estrada to retreat from his drive to amend the Constitution. In the traditional Ulat sa Bayan or Report to the Nation at the start of the year, the President said he was shifting his priorities to "more urgent" and more feasible concerns that can yield results within a short period "at less cost" to national unity. Thus he was putting on hold his Constitutional Correction for Development or Concord, which he had hoped would pave the way for economic reforms to attract more investments.

"My passion for seeing these amendments through has not cooled," the President emphasized. And indeed Concord critics, while relieved over the President's announcement last Saturday, believe the initiative will continue to be pursued, especially if the President's poll ratings improve. Still, deferring Concord will give the nation some breathing space from political discord, allowing the President to pursue other programs with minimal dissent.

While Concord is on hold, the President must continue to push aggressively for economic reforms. For all the opposition Concord generated, there are in fact certain provisions in the Constitution that can use amendments if the nation wants to be ready for international competition in the new millennium. Deferring Concord need not mean putting these reforms on the back burner as well. As critics have pointed out, some of these reforms can be pursued merely through executive action, without touching the 1987 Constitution.

Since the previous administration, opposition to Charter change has been anchored on fears that the effort to amend the Constitution would pave the way for the perpetuation of certain politicians in power. It has not helped that the Estrada admi-nistration's preferred mode of amending the Charter is through a constituent assembly to be convened by Congress. Few people believe that such an assembly can resist the temptation of inserting political amendments that will, for example, lift term limits or extend terms of office.

Now Concord has been put on hold, but the nation still has to face the challenges of international competition. The administration has retreated from Concord, but it need not retreat from economic reforms.