The El Shaddai charismatic group led by Mariano “Bro. Mike” Velarde called on President Arroyo over the weekend to defer all initiatives to amend the Constitution until after the 2010 general elections.

Velarde noted that with the elections less than two years away, it would be impractical to pursue Charter change initiatives, either through a constitutional convention (con-con) or constituent assembly (con-ass), the latter method proposed by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

Velarde told the gathering of his followers at their 24th anniversary celebration of his personal opinion about the Charter change (Cha-cha) initiative of Pimentel that was supported by Mrs. Arroyo.

“Charter change must be through con-con wherein the people would be able to elect delegates after year 2010. This has always been my position. We cannot have a con-ass because of the proximity of the 2010 elections,” he said.

Velarde, who also celebrated his 69th birthday during the gathering, echoed the position of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) that Charter change initiatives must come after the 2010 elections through a constitutional convention.

“Some people have their own impressions, the House and the Senate has a problem on the voting, the Senate wants to have a separate voting,” Velarde told the President who also attended the gathering at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, that lasted from Saturday into Sunday morning.

Velarde said moves to amend the Constitution must not be precipitated by accommodating a certain sector, particularly from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to have their own homeland and self-rule.

Velarde noted the aborted Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) that was supposed to be signed by the government and the MILF, allowing the rebel group to govern an expanded autonomous region in Mindanao.

The Supreme Court had stopped the signing of the agreement because of constitutional issues.

“If the proposed amendments on the Charter are only intended to accommodate the MOA, that is wrong because we cannot every now and then amend the Constitution to suit a particular group,” Velarde said.

“If ever we want to change the Constitution it would be for the general welfare of the country otherwise there would be others who would follow this example,” he said.

Pimentel earlier said his proposal for a federal system of government is not tied to the issue of the MOA.

Pimentel said the MOA is patently unconstitutional but stressed his proposal for a federal Muslim state in Mindanao is different.

Mrs. Arroyo has expressed support for Pimentel’s proposal but some sectors feared she is only cashing in on the issue to extend her term of office beyond 2010.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio said Pimentel should put to rest all speculations and allegations surrounding Mrs. Arroyo’s support.

“We wish Senator Pimentel the best in pushing for (Joint) Resolution No. 10,” Claudio said.

“The Palace’s support for federalism is motivated by no other thought but peace in Mindanao through equal growth and development opportunities for all regions or prospective federal states,” he said.

Claudio said the Senate has enough clout to ensure the federalist agenda behind the move for Charter change would not deviate.

Ermita said it was possible for Mrs. Arroyo to certify Pimentel’s proposal as urgent as she has done with other priority measures.

Ermita, along with Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process Hermogenes Esperon, said the approval of the resolution would be a great boost for peace and development in Mindanao.

Criticisms

Pimentel had urged his colleagues to keep an open mind on his federalism proposal.

Pimentel said the concern of helping the country’s regions, particularly Mindanao, to develop and have more autonomy is the primary issue in the proposal for federalism.

He said fears that his proposal to amend the Constitution and change the country’s political system into a federal state should not be the primary reason for some of his fellow senators to withdraw support.

Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes and laws, said he is optimistic on
Pimentel’s proposal of federalism.

Gordon however admitted the proposal will have a hard time in hurdling the scrutiny of the Senate.

Although declaring he has an “open mind” on the issue, Gordon said Charter change initiatives should come after the 2010 presidential elections.

The self-proclaimed “presidentiable” shared the same view expressed by other wannabes like Senate President Manuel Villar Jr., and Senators Manuel Roxas II, Loren Legarda, Francis Escudero, and Panfilo Lacson.

“My position is clear, Charter change should happen after 2010,” Gordon added.

“The debates in 2010 (elections) should focus on this issue so that the people will be knowledgeable on the issue,” he said.

Gordon said amendments to the Constitution after 2010 would erase all suspicions and doubts on the motives of those calling for the shift in government.

“Pushing for Cha-cha in 2010 would eliminate the doubts of the people on the real motive which is to extend the term of the President or congressmen who want to also extend their terms,” he said.

With the Palace’s strong support for Pimentel’s resolution, Gordon said the opposition senator might have been used by Mrs. Arroyo and her allies to put a spin on the MOA and federalism.

Other religious sectors led by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) said charter change initiatives at this time could only mean an extension of Mrs. Arroyo’s term of office.

The NCCP said extending the term of Mrs. Arroyo through Charter change is “not that the way to lasting peace” in Mindanao.

“Charter change threatens seriously the remaining nationalist provisions of the Constitution especially with respect to national patrimony,” the NCCP said.

“It will further liberalize the economy and exacerbate the plunder of the remaining natural wealth in Mindanao and elsewhere in the archipelago to advance foreign business interests at the people’s expense,” the group said.

The NCCP said they fully support the peace process between the government and the MILF provided such course should only be through a “principled negotiation.”

The group said the MOA between the government and the MILF is a positive step towards resolving the conflict.

“But the MOA has raised many serious and legitimate questions and doubts are now cast on the sincerity of Malacañang in the light of the simultaneous resurgence of the moves for Charter change,” the NCCP said. – With Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez, Sandy Araneta