"CHA CHA" SHOULD WAIT AFTER 2010

Senate Resolution (SR 10) converting the country into 11 Federal States with a Federal Government in Manila - earlier signed by 14 believer-senators- and sponsored by LGU guru senator Nene Pimentel is a good piece of legislative work.

The pro-Pimentel Bill senators crossed party voting lines then: Angara,Lacson, Estrada, Biazon, Pia Cayetano, senate president Villar,Enrile, Escudero, Pangilinan, Honasan, Aquino, Zubiri and Revilla, seeking a Constituent Assembly to approve that measure.

Among other positive karma it supposedly brings, the Federal system defrocks Imperial Manila and transfers some of the state powers (including taxation) to the independent 11 Federal States. Aside from their own states source of revenues, the 11 States will automatically get 30% of the national Internal Revenue Allocation. Another item is the automatic allocation of 40% of the total state revenues to the "health maintenance" of the individual state citizens.

Senate SR 10 appeared like an improved version of the Local Government Autonomy Code. It seemed like a sweet smelling deal.

However, recall that SR 10 never wanted: (a) a sovereign Bangsamoro Federal state (b) term extension of the president and (c) shift to parliamentary form of government. Look what's happening now?

The sly Palace operators, however, sensing some unanimity in the Senate numbers, tried to
smuggle an initialed Memo of Agreement (MOA) creating a controversial BJE (Bangsamoro Juridical Entity) - for signing in Malaysia to please an increasingly arrogant MILF, who cocked a .45 caliber revolver to the brain of the Republic of the Philippines - to sign it up or else. They thought it would pass quietly as a preliminary implementation of the Federal System.

Now the court jesters of the Palace housed in the Lower House (how apt for the clowns) wanted reportedly an extension of the President's term beyond 2010 or shifting into a Parliamentary system of Government, wherein a disqualified ex-president (under the presidential system) like GMA can run for a Parliament and once again (!) run the country as Prime Minister.

The sinister route would have reportedly been to use the enabling law (through a plebiscite) for the BJE initiative to clandestinely insert other Charter changes (Cha-Cha) like the above.

This is where the senators went ballistic over the opportunistic machination of the Palace Rasputins and many of the then supporters are withdrawing their signatures from the Resolution (it is a mere resolution not a bill). And the howl over another Palace vaudeville across the nation is deafening.

Most people just wouldn't do the cha-cha - preferring the reggae, tango, pachata and swing among the Latin dances. Figuratively, we figure.

Like the BJE initiative, the main beef against it is what the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) termed a lack of "consultation and communal discernment" which can indeed lead to further polarization and division of the nation.

For one, Boholano former University of the Philippines president Jose Abueva wrote in his Federalism Primer :there are three kinds of Federal systems: cooperative, competitive and coercive. Have we even began to consider the differences among the terms?

It was when the president GMA expressed mild obsession over the BJE and Federalism that every one turned paranoid that a hidden agenda is lurking behind the shadows of the Pasig River. This is what happens when a president has a (-50%) acceptance rating and where 9 out of 10 Filipinos believed their president will tell lies during her SONA.

No matter how she tries, everything GMA touches seem to turn to ashes - a King Midas in reverse.

Now, there are three ways to do the Cha-cha: (1) Constituent Assembly (2) Constitutional Convention and (3) People’s Initiative.

But there is only one way to unite the nation and rally behind the changes to be embodied in the Philippine Constitution: via the Constitutional Convention. What about the two others?

To do the Constituent Assembly, is to ask people whether they want the blood bank to be watched by Count Dracula. Recent history had shown that especially for some disgustingly spineless and utterly mercenary members of the Lower House, they will always vote on what will perpetuate the interest of the Dispenser of the Purse - rather than the well being of the nation. Whatever they will ram through though - this nation will not accept any more.

To do the People's Initiative is to leave the judgment of this nation in the hands of local officials beholden to the Dispenser of the Purse and will make the dead vote, the absent present and miscount the votes. They will also ask inane questions like: Do you want to go to Heaven? Faulty as the results of a rigged People's Initiative would be - do you think the nation at large will rally behind such nonsense?

At this tipping point where government credibility is shot - the best route is through the election of members of the Constitutional Convention (after 2010) just people who will move for amendments to the charter including Federalism. Doing such during this term of an incumbent (GMA) who is stained by Garci charges and poll manipulation will give birth to "elected" Con-Con delegates whose mandate shall be suspect.

Would a disenfranchised nation rally behind these fraudulently elected Con-Con delegates and respect their proposed changes to the Philippine Constitution? It would have been better if we had stayed the course of the presidential system.

The newly elected government of 2010 should call for the election of the Con-Con delegates immediately and encourage a full six months national debate on the merits and demerits of the Federal System.

Only then - and not before that - will we have a new Constitution that reflects the true will of the people - a veritable product of "consultation and communal discernment." Shalom!