Cha-cha now a zarzuela?

In the olden days, the "zarzuela" was a musical genre that alternated between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating dances. It was brought to the Philippines during the period of Spanish colonization by the settlers and friars, and quickly spread to the natives, who adapted it to their tastes. The zarzuela is described as an exotic mixture of choruses, songs and dances, often dealing in comedic, sentimental, cynical, romantic and realistic themes. Through the passage of time, the zarzuela has evolved but still managed to preserve its essence. However, with the development and introduction of new musical genres in recent years, the zarzuela slowly faded into obscurity.

Nowadays, when certain developments arise in our country, especially within the political arena, people dismiss it as nothing more than a zarzuela or just mere show. Perhaps this is what’s happening now, what with the swirling political controversy over the proposed Charter change, or Cha-cha. In yet another surprising development, Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz suddenly resigned recently over allegations that he criticized the administration-supported people’s initiative petition to amend the Constitution, which was thrown out by the Supreme Court. These kinds of developments threaten to further muddle up an already confusing situation.

Sec. Heherson Alvarez, national spokesman for Lakas-CMD, therefore, was correct when he lamented that "the Cha-cha debate has been obfuscated. Sight of the true issue has been lost, and the protagonists have been quibbling over trivialities and irrelevancies. Personalities and political posturing have dominated the discourse. The controversy has been reduced to who said what, and to why he said so. Ulterior motives have been imputed one against the other, and protestations of noble nature have been roundly disbelieved." Indeed. The issue concerning Charter change has already taken more twists and turns than our favorite "telenovelas." With all the trouble and confusion surrounding the Charter change initiative, we’re now wondering if we really do need to amend the Constitution.

Since the declaration of our independence, our country has adhered to the American System of Presidency and Bicameral Congress. The proponents of Charter change claim that this type of system has many aspects that are no longer appropriate for the changing needs of the Filipino. For our country to avoid the gridlock of underdevelopment, we must switch to a Parliamentary form of government.

The Filipino people have long yearned for the country to escape from the grasps of hunger and poverty. A change, therefore, seems to be the most logical approach to the nation’s pressing concerns. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that we are endorsing outright a Charter change. There will always be two sides to a coin and our people have the right to know and decide which option will be better for them. The people’s voice must be heard. Especially so on this very delicate matter concerning their future. Vox populi, vox dei.