"Filipinos deserve a better kind of leaders than what we have now."

In a statement published in a major daily on Friday, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines urged administration allies in the House of Representatives to put aside their intention of changing the constitution through Constituent Assembly before the 2010 elections.

The statement, signed by CBPCP president, Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, said an amended or revised constitution will not push the country to progress and instead, give more opportunity to unscrupulous people in government to extend their terms and corrupt a "liberalized economy."

"Chacha (Charter change) is not that panacea of our problems. On the contrary, the drafting of a new Constitution may fall prey to the machinations of the few who stand to profit from a liberalized economy and possibly extended term of service," the bishops said.

The bishops urged lawmakers wait until after the 2010 elections before discussing Cha-cha.

“The 2010 elections will allow us to perform a very serious and civic moral duty to vote into office the people who will lead us in our continuing quest for a mature, responsive and morally transformed society.”

At least two popular proposals to amend the constitution are going around the lower chamber right now.

The first Cha-cha bill, authored by Speaker Prospero Nograles, proposes amendments to the stiff economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution. Nograles believes the existing economic provisions should be relaxed to open more foreign investments in the country.

The other proposal, which is being primarily pushed by President Arroyo's political party, Kampi, wants the lower and higher chambers to tackle amendments to the constitution through Con-Ass.

Both proposals have gained the support of a majority of House members, but are both widely criticized by senators and various sectors.

There were suspicions that Kampi is pushing for Cha-cha to extend Mrs. Arroyo’s term beyond 2010 or give her a chance to run for a seat in a parliamentary government.

Corruption should be addressed

The bishops said Cha-cha is not the real answer to the country’s poverty problem. Instead, they said the move is diverting the people and the government’s attention away from corruption, which, they said is the real problem that should be addressed.

"The successive controversies on NBN-ZTE deal, fertilizer scam, and others are the real obstacles to progress and not the protectionist policies of our present constitution, as Cha-cha advocates would have us believe," the CBCP said.

Aside from the suspicions on the motives of the Cha-cha advocates, the bishops said it is “premature and untimely” because of the present global financial crisis, which may greatly affect poor Filipinos.

“There is the global financial crisis and the intensifying poverty. Against the backdrops of a yawning budget deficit, a lethargic economy… Cha-cha will further deplete government resources,” the statement said, adding that amending the constitution will not guarantee the reversal of the poor Filipinos’ conditions.

Con-Ass takes away people’s power

The bishops also warned Filipinos that if they allow members of the Congress to tackle constitutional reform through Con-Ass, “we essentially relinquish the remaining power that we have as a people over our constitution.”

They said Filipinos should be allowed to actively participate in the discussions for Cha-cha.

“People’s participation in this exercise is a prerequisite that must be satisfied. This is a new expression of people power,” the bishops said.