For now, let the Constitution be!

The Supreme Court has spoken against the People's initiative for Cha-Cha. Still, the Cha-Cha proponents are not deterred. Now, they are looking at Con-Ass (a constituent assembly made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate) to have the Cha-Cha. Why are they so intent on Cha-Cha before the next elections? Why the rush?

Are there not more pressing problems between now and elections that Cha-Cha cannot wait? Can they also not honor the more democratic process of having a constitutional convention, whose representatives are duly elected and authorized by the people to change the constitution on their behalf?

Sure, the present constitution is not perfect. Which constitution in the whole world is? Sure, certain portions of the present constitution may need change. But should the change be rushed and done in a non-democratic manner? Should the change be done by those whose elected tenure may be advantaged by the Cha-Cha that they will push and rush before elections next year?

Is that the reason for the Cha-Cha rush? So those in power now can hold on to their positions beyond next year's elections which will be invalidated by a shift in the form of government should Cha-Cha push through before May?

Grabe naman. The Supreme Court has wisely counseled us, in the words of Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, to choose a path we can be proud of as a people and that is the path of democratic rule, the genuine rule of law, not the rule of numbers as is being practiced shamelessly in this present administration.

With some senators now open to a Con-Ass with the majority-ruled House of Representatives, with Chief Justice Panganiban about to retire in December and be replaced, not unexpectedly by a Malacanang protégé, will Cha-Cha really push through no matter what, no matter what the real rule of law says, no matter what moral values warrant, no matter what is truthfully needed by this country?

Please let not the Cha-Cha advocates say that it is true nationalism that is goading them to push for change now and soon. If the Cha-Cha advocates in Congress agree to resign their political posts once the Cha-Cha is approved, to show that their own personal, vested interests can give way to the democratic principles and sovereignty of the Filipino people to vote for the leaders that they choose, then perhaps, some of our people may be convinced by the sincerity of such political leaders. But will there be such political leaders who will give up their present political thrones for the sake of delicadeza, or in favor of higher principles, or for the Filipino people with Cha-Cha?

How do you think will your present leaders ultimately decide about Cha-Cha between now and the next elections next year, if there will be elections at all?

If even the power of the present Supreme Court cannot stop the Cha-Cha proponents from pushing their agenda as fast as they can, before elections next year is their goal of course, then can they be stopped at all?

Momentarily, they have been derailed but they are taking another path this time, another route for possibly reaching their goal, to have the Constitution changed, but in doing so, they keep their political seats and power as well. That is the way this game is played.

They are pushing the Con-Ass now. Then, when the time is ripe, surely they will try the route of the Supreme Court again after the next Chief Justice is appointed, sometime in December. The Cha-Cha advocates know the number games only too well - perhaps with a new Chief Justice, more SC justices will now be convinced to legalize the peoples' initiatives for Cha-Cha?

Marcos declared Martial Law and had the Constitution changed during this authoritarian period. Will this also be resorted to by the present regime?

It will not come as any surprise really if the Cha-Cha advocates will continue to push their agenda, no matter how, until they get the change that they want for themselves.

But what about the nation and the rest of the Filipino people? What about you? What do you want for our nation and for our people?

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