Cha-cha not dead, former executive secretary warns

MANILA, Philippines — Former executive secretary Victor Rodriguez yesterday warned that the Charter change (Cha-cha) movement is not yet dead as he asked the public to remain vigilant on efforts to amend the 1987 Constitution.

During the Pandesal Forum in Quezon City, Rodriguez said that the proponents will resurrect Cha-cha after the midterm elections.

“It will all depend heavily on the turnout or the outcome of the midterm election. As we all know, we have no debate that they have full control of the House of Representatives. They are just encountering, not stiff, but somehow a credible opposition or pushback from the members of the Senate, from our senators, but if they will be able to successfully fill the Senate with their own allies and people, I think there is a danger they will ram all these maneuvers to tinker with our Constitution,” Rodriguez said.

He noted that the proponents of  Cha-cha have not abandoned their efforts despite a survey where at least 88 percent of the respondents rejected any move to amend the Constitution.

“For me, it is important that we put in good people in all available elective positions that will be at stake this midterm election because if not, I fear that if there will be not enough principled, credible personality to be put in place in Senate and the House of Representatives, we are in danger of seeing a transitioning of the form of government from presidential to parliamentary and that is for the immediate term,” Rodriguez said.

“I believe that the move to amend the Charter either through people’s initiative or through whatever mode or medium is still very much alive,” he said.

Rodriguez added that the problem is not the Constitution but corruption in the country.

He served as executive secretary of President Marcos, but resigned from his post.

Speaker Martin Romualdez has said that the restrictive economic provisions in the Constitution have “hampered our full economic potential,” which is why they introduced Resolution of Both Houses No. 7 seeking to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

Senators said that they would not be rushed into railroading the economic Cha-cha resolution.