Just another political gimmickry

Pro-GMA moves for Cha-cha - from ConCon, then ConAss, to people's initiative with the Constitutional Commission thrown in-between - have failed to soften the Senate. Just as it takes two to stir the light fantastic toe to do the tango, dancing the political Cha-cha needs the three branches of government - and the people - to act in unison. Failing that oneness in purpose and resolute resolve, Cha-cha is but a pipe dream. Unless of course, there be a successful upheaval resulting in concentration of governmental powers in one person, or body like a junta, who may eventually, by dictatorial edict, opt for such Charter change.

The last-ditch attempt at Cha-cha is by people's initiative conducted by the administration nationwide. The ploy is to work up as much agitations from the people to compel the recalcitrant Senate to relent. Shades of "vox populi est suprema lex" gimmickry.

So far it has fallen on deaf ears! And then, the Palace has come up with the four mega/super regions supershow! It bannered: "Super regions prelude to decentralization of political power". Though the Palace stressed the "mega/super" regions as economic in thrust, the original idea was devolvement of political power from imperial Manila.

Spokesman Ignacio Bunye Jr. said that GMA "created the four super regions of North Luzon, Metro Luzon, Central Philippines, and Mindanao to devolve political power from Manila to local governments nationwide as envisioned by Charter change advocates". So, the cat is out that the political decentralization theory is enmeshed with the Cha-cha.

Just lately, "Cyber Corridor" as fifth super region has just been coined as an after-thought, indicative that these are mere "super whims" of a fickle mind that changes from moment to moment with mercurial vagary. And the fancy for big words but mere folly really, just like GMA's coinage of "supermaid".

By what provision of the Constitution or the law is the creation of the "mega/super" regions based? Wanting legal basis to create another tier of the political structure, what is GMA up to? Secretary Ricardo Saludo's opinion that GMA "might issue an executive order" splitting the Philippines into four regions, doesn't help any.

Sensing the legal infirmity, Malacañan now modifies its tune that the "mega/super" concept is to "bring the national government and various local governments to work closely together in economic planning". In short, the Palace now puts in the backburner the basic goal, viz: "the decentralization of economic power as a prelude to the eventual decentralization of political power under the aegis of Charter reform". See, the underlying theme is Cha-cha via the backdoor.

Assuming that the "mega/super" regions as economic strategy, sans political personality by legal fiction, how would GMA legalize her promised P75 billion per annum per region, or a total of P375 billion with the addition of the "Cyber Corridor"? How could public funds be disbursed without budgetary appropriations by Congress which, incidentally, is holding the 2006 national budget in limbo? Granting arguendo that the House would "cooperate", would the Senate be likely-minded?

What happens now to the 17 existing regional entities of political governance? Or, to the extant Regional Development Councils? Would this political set-up co-exist with the mega regions, and/or be overlapping with another in confusion? And another layer of bureaucratic red tape and corruption?

These and other questions remain unresolved. Meantime, the Palace is still gung ho over its implementation, regardless of the questionable legality or wisdom of the mega/super regions, obviously espoused by the Palace without in-depth studies and people's prior consultations.

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