Dancing the cha-cha

By Modesto P. Sa-onoy

In the middle of the pandemic, many politicians are more concerned about their interests than the country’s welfare. People are afraid and have surrendered many of their rights to the government and thus are weak in a political sense. The unscrupulous politicians and vested interests are floating the idea of changing the Constitution by convening the Congress for the speedy approval of the Constitution as they did with the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

The latest proposal for Charter Change, popularly called Cha-Cha, appears to be another hurried plan to amend the Constitution to conform to several political and economic interests. It is like the original cha-cha-cha Cuban dance of hurried side-close-side stepping fast movements.

The people are distracted and have little time to quarrel with the government and in fact they had become so apathetic to political issues that politicians are exploiting the situation to push for their favorite, self-serving measures. The people are made to dance the cha-cha with the music of the Pied Piper.

The most vocal are the local governments. They want to amend the Constitution supposedly to increase the LGU share of the national income which is attractive to their constituencies, but with a “sidestep” in the cha-cha to remove term limits and perpetuate their power in their localities. We have had political dynasties and we knew what it was.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III frowns on the cha-cha. “While mayors may have a point in seeking their just share of national taxes, Charter change is not among the priorities of the Senate when it resumes session,” he said last week.

“Although local government officials have very valid points, constitutional changes or amendments are very contentious issues,” Sotto said in response to the call of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines to amend the Constitution to increase local governments’ internal revenue allotment and lift restrictions on foreign investments in unspecified industries.

Increasing their share of the national income need not be done through a constitutional change but by law. This proposal for increased share is merely a cover for their real intentions – no term limits and other restrictions that prevent the rise of family political dynasties. Sadly, however, although the present constitution prohibits political dynasties, Congress has not passed a law to enforce it.

Senator Sotto however added that “There are other priorities, but these are the ones that are on top of the list.” That is a window of opportunity. Deputy House Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said the administration’s renewed bid to amend the 1987 Constitution showed the administration’s “misplaced priorities.”

“The obsession with Charter change shows another misplaced priority of the Duterte administration even if it has yet to fully address the COVID-19 pandemic in our country. The move for Cha-cha especially now is a waste of time, effort and the much-needed funds that should be rechanneled to fighting COVID 19,” he said adding that “to amend the Constitution at this time is utterly preposterous and should be junked.”

The solon also pointed out that the proponents are saying that Cha-cha can give more budget to municipalities by allowing foreign ownership of businesses and a higher share in all taxes.

This is another side-step – to allow foreign investments that are open only to Filipinos or Filipino control. There is an Asian proverb – “he who rides the tiger usually ends up inside.” The immediate beneficiary of this amendment is China that wants to invest in over one million hectares of agricultural land for food production. Let us not be deluded. That food will not feed the Filipinos, but Chinese while local governments can have the crumbs.

There is another intention. Reports say that the Duterte administration has openly advocated a constitutional overhaul that would shift to a federal system and the Department of the Interior and Local Government even formed the Inter-Agency Task Force on Federalism and Constitutional Reform in October (2019).

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año last week also pushed for the call to amend the Constitution purportedly to “institutionalize” a Supreme Court ruling on internal revenue allotments and lift foreign ownership restrictions.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, however, said the Duterte administration does not consider constitutional amendment as a priority. But the others in the administration are speaking differently.

We will wait, keeping in mind that “vigilance is the price of liberty.”