EDITORIAL – A heavy burden

Two things were set in motion yesterday: the impeachment of President Arroyo, and the amendment of the Constitution through a constituent assembly. The impeachment process will have to take the long route after opposition congressmen failed to muster the required 79 votes to send the complaint straight to the Senate. Charter change, on the other hand, will take the shorter route; Congress will simply convene itself into a constituent assembly to amend the 1987 Constitution.

Both moves will have an immense impact on national affairs. President Arroyo, in her fifth State of the Nation Address yesterday, made few promises – perhaps so there could be fewer ones to be broken. She also kept her proposals for urgent legislation at a minimum: the remainder of her fiscal reform measures, the anti-terrorism law. And with good reason, because much of the action is now in the hands of Congress.

A great responsibility has been placed on the shoulders of the legislature. Since the start of the worst political crisis to hit the administration, Filipinos have shown reluctance to resort to the usual quick fixes of the past. Instead Filipinos have shown openness to suspending judgment and giving the accused the benefit of the doubt. People are showing admirable patience and restraint in effecting change. This time people are watching to see if constitutional processes could be a better way out of yet another political crisis.

This could be a heavy burden for lawmakers who are chronically shortsighted and full of themselves. The idea of wielding power responsibly is alien to many legislators, whose concept of their job is limited to matters pertaining to their pork barrel. The nation is in a sorry state, and the presidential impeachment and Charter change could lead to long-awaited drastic reforms. But handled in the usual irresponsible way by Congress, they could spell national disaster.