Misleading

The efforts and the moves to change the Charter through the people’s initiative are getting more and more frenzied and desperate. It is becoming to be somewhat of a "do or die" situation for the people supporting it openly or in the shadows. While the hand of Malacanang remains to be seen, it can be felt by all those who have something to do with the ultimate success of the undertaking particularly the decision makers. In fact the Speaker of the House who is reputedly the closest ally of the President was seen at the ongoing Global Forum for Liberty and Prosperity talking and reportedly trying to convince some Supreme Court Justices to decide favorably on the pending case about people’s initiative. No less than the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has confirmed that some pressures are being exerted on them. These are ominous signs and clear proofs that the much touted people’s initiative did not really originate from the people themselves but is the handiwork of the same old political trapos who have brought the country into its present dire political, social and economic straits – the very cause of the people’s feeling for the urgent need to change the Charter. It is like the wolf asking the people’s cooperation to its own suggestions on how to be spared of its own predatory acts.

There must really be some hidden and overt pressures but only the open ones are of public knowledge. Public ads abound and press releases are coming out almost daily not to mention the blatantly one sided opinions of heavyweight journalists who passionately appreciate the Cha-cha steps being allegedly danced by the people. A lot of money must have been spent for such high pressure propaganda, but where is it coming from? Even if the 6.3 million signatories chip in only one peso each, the same is still not enough to cover the huge amount of expenses. For one thing, the well qualified and dedicated "Sigaw Spokesman" does not really look cheap nor is he rendering his efficient services gratis et amore. For another thing the 6.3 million signatories would surely prefer to have that big amount for themselves rather than use it to sell a dubious idea of changing the basic document of the land supposedly through their initiative. During these hard times that is the least of their concerns.

Granting that we really need to change the Charter and assuming that the parliamentary system is the best for our country; conceding further that the Filipinos are fed up with the presidential system and the political culture of negative politics that only result in a "democracy of deadlock", any change in the Charter must still be done in the proper and constitutional way. Unfortunately the rabid advocates of the Cha-cha through people’s initiative have resorted to some misinformation that tends to mislead the public.

First of all, it is quite devious to claim that 6.3 million Filipinos want a shift to the parliamentary system and tell the Supreme Court not to ignore their wishes. This claim is not a matter of fact but only a mere allegation based on the number of signatures allegedly verified by the Comelec registrars nationwide whose credibility has remained in the gutters ever since the Garcillano caper and the fraudulent Mega Pacific deal. The figures are so unreliable as to be the basis of any Charter change (amendment or revision or whatever) through the untried and untested method like the peoples’ initiative. In this method, verifying the signatures amounts to nothing if it is not definitely established that the signatories know what they are signing. The proponents cannot simply say 6.3 million Filipinos want the parliamentary system because of the number of signatures that far exceeds the minimum constitutional requirement of 12% of registered voters nationwide for the initiative to prosper. Curiously, the proponents are ominously silent about the 3% in every congressional district which is also a minimum requirement. They must know something that they don’t want the public to know.

In their propaganda, the proponents are likewise branding the oppositors as belonging to the political and business elite, those who want the status quo. Yet it is quite obvious that they are likewise but a few political trapos who have taken advantage of our defective political and electoral system to advance their own cause and make it appear as if it is the cause of the alleged "sovereign Filipino people". In this current controversy therefore, it is becoming clearer and looking much better if these proponents will just leave us alone instead of pushing through with their dubious proposal.

E-mail at: jcson@pldtdsl.net and jose@sisonph.com