Who were there?

I was surprised that reports on the meeting called by the Consultative Group for Constitutional Reform did not include the names of the participants of the Round Table. The meeting included personalities from a wide spectrum of Filipino society. That was not reported, much less emphasized. Another was the allusion that the consultative group was organized only that morning. Although it was the first time for different groups for constitutional change to sit with the House Committee for Constitutional Amendments, some groups have been organized for years. The idea of a forum on constitutional change was suggested soon after the First Political Summit in May 2001. The meeting at Club Filipino was a Round Table to allow the different groups in civil society and members of Congress, the institution for constitutional amendments to negotiate on their positions and achieve some consensus.

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Our task as convenors was to get the debate going. At the same time we resolved not to lose sight of what bound us together which is to Change the Constitution Now. That unity would be symbolized by our signatures on a declaration of intent. We would agree to disagree. That was done and done very successfully that morning. The convenors were Ramon Casiple, Institute for Political and Electoral Reform representing the basic sector with dozens of urban poor and people’s organizations nationwide; Lito Monico Lorenzana, Citizens Movement for Federal Philippines, a group with nationwide membership, Alberto Fenix Jr., from the business sector and an advocate for constitutional change, Marietta Goco, recently awarded the prestigious Eleonor Roosevelt Award for her work in microfinance helping the entrepreneurial poor and myself, as a columnist who has taken up the cause of constitutional change for years.

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To give you an idea on who came to the Round Table, here are some of the names of the participants present: General Fortunato Abat; although retired from the military is an acknowledged influential figure, director of PHILCONSA, Gov. Hermilando.I. Mandanas, president of the Federation of Regional Development Councils for local authorities from governors down to barangay captains; Romulo Neri of the Asia Institute of Management, Camilo Sabio, former president of PHILCONSA and headof a study group on constitutional amendments under the Office of the President, Ambassador Alberto Pedrosa, chairman of PIRMA and also with the study group; for overseas Filipinos was Eddie del Rosario, chairman, OFW Net, Foundation Inc. a worldwide network of overseas Filipinos in cyberspace; Ambassador Raul Goco for lawyers’ groups; for the women there were Susan de los Reyes, president Women for Mindanao Peace & Development Fdn,Inc, Nona Ricafort, of PFBPW representing womens’ organizations with 7-million members ; Dr. Jose Eliseo M. Rocamora, Institute for Popular Democracy, Soc Banzuela, Gladstone Cuarteros, Zinnia Arcinue, who have formed a group called Citizens for Concon 2004; for the religious – Monsignor Nico Bautista, Bishop Leo Alconga, representing Bro. Eddie Villanueva; Manuel F. Faelnar for Defenders of Indigenous Languages of the Philippines, another nationwide organization, one of whose directors is Bobbit Avila, STAR correspondent for Cebu; Jerry Bulatao-Chairman LECET, Francis Manglapus, Menardo Jimenez, Ben R. Iglesias, Fernando Pena-Chino Roces Foundation;.Former Ambassador Jose Romero, Jesus Perico, Ana Marie Beltran, Katipunan Lipa Foundation, Clint Pacana-APEC, Angel Homado, J. Oswald Lorenzo, Kilusang Pilipino, Lutz Barbo -Gen. Counsel for the Senate, representing Senator Aquilino Pimentel and known also as one of the Erap impeachment stalwarts, Jose M. Balde, Noel F. Santos – Gabay, OFW, Dante Roa, Dodgie O. Sabec – Chairman, ALAGAD/ NUPSC, Tom Morales-Kasama OFW, Katherine Tiongson, PRRM, Edith Diokno Co, PFBPW, Lydia Cielo, Cristina Boromal, Rosie Yanes, Manny Lopez -PPC Las Pinas, Chairman, Jose Jamen PFBPW, Oscar Barrera-Philexport, Jerry Acgaoli-MERALCO Foundation, John Bautista, OFW, Benjamin Morales-Shali Microfinance. These are some names from the attendance sheets which give a good idea of the spread of the Round Table.

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For example, a group, the Citizens for ConCon 2004 includes the Citizens Movement for a Federalist Philippines, Kilusang Pilipino, Sambayanihan Foundation and the Consortium for Constitutional Reform which includes Akbayan! Citizens Action Party, Empowering Citizens for Participatory Governance, Institute for Popular Democracy, Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms, Institute of Politics and Governance, Kumare/Kumpare, National Institute for Policy Studies and Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement. The OFW Net Foundation includes dozens and dozens of organizations of OFs worldwide and so does the Federation of Women’s Groups. The 16 Regional Development Councils are spread across the country and in the coming days, the consultative group will be reaching out to the governors and mayors under its wing. Although Gov. Mandanas told this column they are working on the mandate for devolution as put down in the 1987 Constitution, a federalist set-up would strengthen their capacity for a more successful devolution.

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On the side of Congress, we are grateful to the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments led by Congressman Antonio Eduardo Nachura, Gerardo Espina, Nograles and Robert Ace Barbers . For the Senate, Sen. Robert Barbers took time to be present despite the short notice. Lutz Barbo came for Senator Aquilino Pimentel, who actively campaigns for constitutional change and federalism. Sen Rodolfo Biazon said put oo, na under his name, Sen Edgardo Angara, an advocate for constitutional reform promised to come another time to sign his name. Sen Franklin Drilon puzzles me because he said he was for constitutional change and among the first to say so.

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It was unfortunate that Speaker Jose de Venecia was misquoted. He never once talked of a coup. He said the danger of "irresponsible politics that could lead to authoritarian rule" and that is already on most minds of patriotic Filipinos. It is the height of hypocrisy to censure him for saying it the way it is. That is the problem – those who want to continue with "irresponsible politics even when they know it is destroying the country." Constitutional change is only a first step. The more difficult still lies ahead but if we close our minds then there is no future for this country. Let us resolve to be brave and persistent but humble as our heroes Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, and others too numerous to fit in this column. We should not allow ourselves to be intimidated by those who are afraid of change.

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My e-mail address: [email protected]