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THE SEASON OF POLITICAL STORMS
By Atty. Cristifil Baluma
Published: December 10, 2006 by The Bohol Standard

The reiteration of the stand of the Supreme Court rejecting the bid for People’s Initiative “with finality”, the bid to amend the 1987 Constitution, maintaining its earlier 8-7 vote junking the petition, denying the proponent’s Motion for Reconsideration, the final say by the Supreme Court on this point, was not the final say on the issue after all, as far as the House of Representatives is concerned.

The bait in the motion for reconsideration by a 10-vote of Supreme Court justices upholding in the four-page resolution that Republic Act No. 6735, The Initiative and Referendum Act “ is sufficient and adequate” to amend the Constitution thru a people’s initiative which in effect abandoned the earlier ruling in Santiago vs. Comelec that there is no law which provided for carrying out the constitutional amendments by way of people’s initiative, did not provide a cooling dose in the country’s political restiveness.

After the Supreme Court provided the last nail to the People’s Initiative, a political storm has hit the Philippines when the House of Representatives pro “Con-Ass” proponents pressed for the holding of a Constitutional Assembly even without the participation of the Senate, by approving House Resolution No. 1450. Said resolution called on members of Congress to propose amendments to, or revision of, the Constitution….. and for other purposes. Under Resolution No. 1450, Congress can begin the process of amending the Constitution with only the Lower House participating in the process. It also allows joint voting by the two legislative chambers, rather than voting separately.

But just yesterday ( Saturday, December 09, 2006), another saga on the move to amend our Charter has unfolded when Speaker Jose de Venecia and the House Majority Coalition declared that there will be elections in May next year and challenged the Senate to a Constitutional Convention to amend the 1987 Constitution. De Venecia said that the House was hurling the challenge to the Senate on behalf of the Filipino people “ who clamor for constitutional reforms to provide the lasting structures” to enhance the country’s political stability and economic growth. The House of Representatives, dominated by the Pro Cha-Cha movers, in effect has given the Senate a period of 72 hours to act on the challenge to convene a constitutional convention. Speaker De Venecia has openly declared that if the Senators “ignore this challenge, then we say they are morally bound to join us in the Constituent Assembly.”

The Majority Coalition of the House of Representatives has denounced a Senate Resolution boycotting the Constituent Assembly and for abandoning their constitutional duty.

As expected by this piece last week, the House of Representatives and the Senate are on a heads- on collision and when the fight continues, the aid of the Supreme Court may be called upon to decide, if and when the issue is deemed justiciable.

While this maybe a political gambit to ward-off a possible scenario that after the May 2007 election President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo may face again an impeachment complaint and if and when more opposition congressmen will be elected to meet the number required in an impeachment vote, the declaration that the House of Representative making itself a constituent assembly will stall any impeachment move when Congress opens its Session in July 2007. The House of Representatives may adjourn sine die and remained as it is as constituent assembly until after the May 2007 election or it may shelve and lay on the table its Constituent Assembly task. But everything here depends on one answer: Which side of the political fence controls the House of Representatives after the May 2007 election, granting that the May 2007 election is called. It is a development worth watching with the House of Representatives clashing with the position of the Senate and possibly the Provincial Governors. Over this scenario is the interest of the Roman Catholic bloc and other religious blocs and other religious sectors who are also interested to insert a provision or two in the Constitution. The Union of Local Authorities want a Constitutional Convention. The Roman Catholic Church likewise do. It is only the House of Representatives, probably with Palace blessings who are for Constituent Assembly. What a political storm!

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Congratulations and again it has been proven. The Boholano can! Rear Admiral Rogelio Iroy Calunsag of Sta. Felomina, Alburquerque, Bohol took over Friday this week as Flag Officer-in-Command of the Philippine Navy. He is the highest military officer from Bohol at this point of time being the No. 1 point man in the Philippine Navy. With the President’s life and term always challenged with threats of coup d’etat, the making of a Boholano as one of the men whom our President has reposed her trust, that is an important point where is the place of the Boholanos in the heart of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

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