ENRILE, BELMONTE TALK CHARTER CHANGE /
BINAY-JINGGOY TANDEM IN 2016?
[PHOTO - Speaker
Feliciano Belmonte and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile]
MANILA, JULY 12, 2012
(INQUIRER) By Cathy C. Yamsuan, Gil C. Cabacungan -
Obviously buoyed by his successful shepherding of two impeachment votes
last year, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte declared with utmost confidence that the
House of Representatives will initiate and carry out long-contemplated
amendments to the Constitution, particularly on the restrictions on foreign
ownership of land, utilities, media and other services.
Belmonte said his upper chamber counterpart, Senate President Juan Ponce
Enrile, was just as confident of getting the senators in line and on board the
Charter change express.
"The Senate President said yes (about getting the majority of senators to
agree). But we don't care about (their business). It will be approved here (in
the House) because we are hoping to have far-reaching change," he told reporters
Wednesday.
The Speaker said he will be talking to Enrile before President Benigno
Aquino's State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 23 to coordinate their plans
for Charter change.
The Speaker's confidence stems from his success in spearheading the
impeachment in the House of two high-ranking officials in the previous Arroyo
administration.
Belmonte put together 212 votes to impeach former Ombudsman Merceditas
Gutierrez in March 2011 (she resigned before the Senate could put her on trial)
and 188 signatures in the impeachment of ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona in
December 2011 (he was convicted by the Senate last June). The House has 285
members.
Suspicious motives
Since the Ramos presidency, Charter change has become a ritual for Congress
members with every change of administration. But their efforts have all been
frustrated because of lingering suspicions that they were more interested in
extending their terms through a change from a presidential to a parliamentary
system.
Attempts by Presidents Fidel Ramos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to amend the
1987 Constitution were similarly foiled by a vigilant public and the Supreme
Court as they were seen as attempts to extend their terms of office.
Almost from the opening of the current Congress in July last year, Belmonte
and Enrile started discussions on tackling constitutional amendments, but were
careful to stress that these would be limited to the economic provisions of the
Charter.
At a legislative summit last September, the House and the Senate agreed in
principle to adopt a bicameral constituent assembly as the mode of amending the
Constitution. This method would allow the two chambers to vote separately on the
bills proposing amendments.
Mr. Aquino is known to be cool to the idea of Charter change, even if limited
to amending the economic provisions that constrains the entry of foreign
investments, saying it is not a priority of his administration.
Following the legislative summit last September, the President said he did
not think it was "a necessary move at this point" and that he did not agree that
it was "the solution to grow the economy."
Enrile leading proponents
It was Enrile who again raised the possibility of Charter change in a radio
interview earlier this month in which he said he wanted the economic provisions
amended, particularly the one that limits foreign ownership of property and
control of investments to only 40 percent.
Enrile blamed this limitation set by the Constitution for the country's
failure to attract foreign investors, and for foreign investors' resorting to
dummies to conduct business in the country.
He said he would also favor an amendment that would reorganize the schedule
of the country's elections.
"The frequent elections is a major reason why the government spends so much
so we should address this. An election every three years (for national
positions) is fine but we need to streamline the elections for barangays, the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Sangguniang Kabataan, midterm elections
and presidential elections so these would cost less," Enrile said.
And again last week, in an interview with dzBB radio, Enrile cited the
country's territorial dispute with China as a reason for amending the
Constitution, to give priority to military spending in the national budget.
"But even if Sonny (Belmonte's nickname) and I want Charter change, there are
other centers of decision that need to participate before these things come to
fruition," Enrile said.
He said neither he nor Belmonte had discussed their Charter change plans with
Mr. Aquino.
But once the President exhibits "signs of willingness, with the participation
of Congress, we can do it," he said.
"But he is not interested, we continue proposing. We (Belmonte and I) are not
gods. We cannot command people, and we will raise it as an issue until people
wake up," Enrile said.
Early approval expected
But this early, Belmonte expects the House to approve the amendments well
before the 2013 midterm elections.
He said he expected to get the mandatory two-thirds vote from the House to
back up Charter change by focusing solely on changing the foreign investment
caps by adding a single phrase—"unless otherwise provided by law"—to the
economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
"It will still not be automatic as it will require a law, which means it will
have to go through the lawmaking process where the President is the final
arbiter," said Belmonte who cited land ownership, utilities and media as the
targets of his Charter change agenda.
He believes that being candid and single-minded about his true motives with
regard to Charter change would bring in the required two-thirds vote.
"When I talk about Charter change, I refer to nothing more than the economic
provisions. I don't want to deal with any other aspect of it except that. That's
why for me, it's not as difficult or complicated," said Belmonte.
Should be everybody's agenda
He said one other reason why Charter change failed in previous congresses was
because of what he described as the "partisan" nature of the undertaking.
"I think that constitutional changes should not be a part of the agenda of
anybody but it should be the agenda of everybody. I don't look at it as anything
partisan or the property of anybody. For me, this is for all of us," he said.
He said previous Charter change efforts failed because the proponents were
seen as "pulling a fast one" over the public.
"I want it done through a constituent assembly, voting separately, because it
is faster. That was the very problem before … [the House and the Senate] said
they were meeting as one vote, and voting as one. We can meet as one but we
should vote as two separate entities," Belmonte said.
Article 2, Section 19 of the Constitution specifically states that the State
develop a self-reliant and independent national economy effectively controlled
by Filipinos. It devotes the entire Article 12 on national economy and patrimony
where it listed down equity restrictions on foreign ownership from zero percent
(mass media, services, and small-scale mining) to 25 percent (private
recruitment and infrastructure development) to 30 percent (advertising) to 40
percent (public utilities, land ownership and mining).
'Fear sets us back'
Enrile said Charter change efforts in the past all failed because of a
prevalent fear that "somebody might take advantage of the situation for his own
personal interest."
"It is not laziness to examine the Constitution but fear that sets us back,"
he noted.
"Fear that people would lose their privileges, their wealth, their influence.
Politicians like myself who might lose their businesses, control over land and
industries," he added.
He said "determination and political will" were needed to repair the
political and economic structure of the country.
"Once people become hungry, and many are already hungry because the surveys
indicate that it is hunger that forces people to leave for jobs abroad, is that
not enough reason to convince people that there is a problem?" Enrile said.
Binay-Estrada tandem shaping up for 2016 Roxas-Escudero teamup being worked out By: Gil C. Cabacungan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
[PHOTO -POLITICS IS MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES In this photo taken on
Aug. 30, 2009, Sen. Francis Escudero, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay,
ex-President Joseph Estrada and Sen. Mar Roxas hold hands during the runoff to
the 2010 presidential election at Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Three
years later, talk is rife of new alliances in preparation for the 2013 and 2016
elections. INQUIRER PHOTO"]
Have Senators Francis "Chiz" Escudero and Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada gone their
separate ways to run for the vice presidency in 2016?
The buzz in Manila's political circles is that the longtime friends have been
jockeying for Vice President Jejomar Binay's choice of No. 2 in 2016, and that
Estrada has edged out Escudero.
And probably out of the senatorial ticket of the United Nationalist Alliance
(UNA) for next year's midterm elections as well.
The UNA is a coalition formed earlier this year by Binay's PDP-Laban Party
and former President Joseph Estrada's Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).
The two parties teamed up to dominate the congressional and local races next
year, but it is widely believed that Binay will use UNA as a springboard for the
2016 presidential contest and that the deal between him and Estrada was the
choice of the younger Estrada as his running mate.
But Escudero, the buzz goes, wants that spot as a reward for supporting Binay
in the 2010 elections. His endorsement of a "Noy-Bi" vote as the 2010 campaign
hit the homestretch cost then Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas the vice presidential
election and gave then Senator Benigno Aquino III, the eventual presidential
winner, a vice president from a rival party.
Relations between Mr. Aquino
and Binay have been good so far, but relations between the President and
Escudero may be severely tested when the senator comes knocking for shelter in
the Liberal Party.
Escudero can no longer return to the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) of
businessman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco that he deserted in 2010 because it
could not bankroll his run for Malacañang.
Not in UNA
Meanwhile, former President Estrada said on Tuesday that Escudero may not be
on the UNA senatorial ticket for next year. Estrada said in a phone interview
with the Philippine Daily Inquirer that it was his impression that Escudero was
joining the senatorial slate being formed by the Liberal Party.
Besides talking with the Nacionalistas, the Liberals are also talking with
Cojuangco's NPC. "Now he is ambivalent," Estrada said in Filipino, referring to
Escudero. "I don't know why. What I think is that he may have asked for many
favors from President Aquino."
If it is true that the President is fixing things between Escudero and Roxas,
then UNA is not looking to get Escudero even as guest senatorial candidate next
year. "We will not accept guest candidates," Estrada said. "That's what we have
agreed on."
Estrada denied that his son is being groomed to become Binay's vice
presidential running mate in 2016. "It's not true," he said. "You can ask Binay
if we have talked about it." Estrada said it was embarrassing for him to talk
about his son running with Binay. He acknowledged, however, that "anything can
happen" before 2016.
Done deal?
Escudero won't join UNA to run for reelection next year if Binay is not
picking him as his No. 2 in 2016, which seems certain, so the buzz goes, because
handing that spot to Senator Estrada is a done deal. Escudero leads senatorial
candidates in national surveys and as such he will be a prized catch for any
party.
With the NPC and the UNA out and with the Nacionalista Party of Senator
Manuel Villar talking of a coalition with Mr. Aquino's Liberal Party, he has
nowhere to go but to the President for adoption. But Roxas, whom Escudero junked
in 2010 in favor of Binay, is the president of the Liberals.
Would Mr. Aquino plead with his best friend Roxas to let bygones be bygones
and let Escudero come aboard?
Options
A source close to Escudero on Tuesday said that did not pose a problem at
all. Escudero, the source said, is considering a number of options for 2016. If
he can't run for vice president, then he will run for president. Then again, he
might stay out of the fray and be a "kingmaker," as he did in 2010 when he gave
the vice presidency to Binay by endorsing "Noy-Bi."
But the source said that President Aquino had been hinting to friends a
Roxas-Escudero team for 2016, which will be a "powerhouse" combination if
Escudero has no problem running as Roxas' No. 2.
If he has, the source said, the NPC is not really lost to him. He may have
abandoned the party, but not the party boss, Cojuangco, who considers him a
"prodigal son," the source said.
No rift
Escudero and Senator Estrada denied they have a rift. Escudero said he had a
talk with Binay before the Vice President left on an overseas trip. On the other
hand, Estrada said UNA was focused only on next year's midterms.
Any talk of a vice presidential running mate for Binay in 2016 is premature,
he said.
Binay, who had just returned from his trip, declined to comment. "It's too
early to even speculate about VP Binay's running mate in 2016," said Joey
Salgado, Binay's press officer. "But I guess it's never too early for political
intrigues."
'President or nothing'
Estrada said he invited Escudero to be his running mate in 2010, but Escudero
took too long to respond. When Escudero responded, he had already picked Binay
as his No. 2, he said.
Escudero responded only after he had failed to get Cojuangco's support for
his presidential candidacy. Estrada said he had been told that Escudero's
thinking then was "president or nothing." But at the last minute, Escudero came
to say "he was already open," Estrada said. "I told him it was already closed."
So is UNA, if it's all up to Estrada.
Talks with NP
In the Liberals' camp, meanwhile, it appears that the talks for a coalition
with the Nacionalistas for next year's congressional and local races are making
progress.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, a Liberal stalwart, said President Aquino
and Villar had moved forward from their bitter rivalry in 2010 and were now
ready to form a congressional coalition. "We all understand that those things
come up and after the election everything is finished, then you move forward
and, you know, you deal with what you have to deal with," Abad said, referring
to the mudslinging between Villar and Mr. Aquino during the 2010 campaign.
"In the case of the President, running the country; in the case of Senator
Villar, once again, consolidating his party and looking forward to the next
exercise," Abad said.
Partnership
He said Mr. Aquino and Villar had discussed a partnership. The President, he
said, made it clear to Villar that if they would have a partnership, he wanted
it to be an enduring one based on shared values. "So it seems that was the
starting point of this partnership," Abad said.
If Mr. Aquino and Villar had differences, Abad said, "those are in the past
and we need to look at this partnership moving forward." With reports from Christian Esguerra and Norman
Bordadora
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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