Business groups to get signatures

Four of the country’s top business organizations with a total of 10 million employees will gather signatures from their members to back the people’s initiative aimed at amending the Constitution.

Support from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), the Exporters Confederation of the Philippines and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. could give a tremendous boost to the people’s initiative, which has drawn flak from critics.

"We fully support Charter amendments, especially those that will lift the economic provisions. This is the only way to make the Philippines competitive in Asia and the world," said Francis Chua, president of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which has 170 member chambers and four million employees alone.

He was referring to Charter provisions that prevent foreign ownership and entry into local businesses.

The PCCI and ECOP have over 30,000 member businesses while the exporters association has 10,000.

Raul Lambino, spokesman for Sigaw ng Bayan, which is leading the people’s initiative drive, said support from the business organizations "has made the people’s initiative campaign virtually unstoppable."

The initiative has run into criticism that politicians are pushing it to stay in power.

Malacañang appealed yesterday to the Roman Catholic Church and other religious leaders to listen to their flock and support their desire to amend the Constitution through a people’s initiative.

"The present form of government has been the arena of destructive politics and power grabs rooted in self-interest," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.

"More and more people are seeing the benefit of changing the system and we hope the Church can support the people in this quest," he said.

Bunye said the support of the Church and other religious groups would be a "big plus" to the drive and officials have been trying to gather support from the public.

Bunye claimed that the public support for Charter change "is overwhelming" and "we believe that we, as leaders," must heed the voice of the people and serve their paramount interest.

Despite the separation of church and state, the Catholic Church remains a strong political force in the Philippines, where over 80 percent of the population are Catholics.

The Church played a key role in the popular uprisings that ousted Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada in 1986 and 2001, respectively.

Politicians seek endorsement from religious leaders during elections.

The Church has yet to make an official stand on the constitutional amendment drive, particularly the ongoing campaign for a people’s initiative.

One bishop, Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, expressed his opposition to a people’s initiative, saying it seemed to him that the effort was being used by politicians for their own agendas.

"That shouldn’t be. A people’s initiative should be for the good of all," he said.

Arguelles reminded the public that a people’s initiative should be "for the people, not for the politicians."

"We appreciate the concerns of Archbishop Arguelles and we ourselves will not brook any self-serving interests tainting the people’s initiative," Bunye said. "Charter change is for purging the system of political poison, not adding to it."

Mrs. Arroyo wants to replace the country’s US-style presidential form of government with a parliamentary system, saying it would speed up the passage of legislation needed for economic recovery.

But her initiative has run into opposition from senators who disagree on how to introduce constitutional amendments, preferring a constitutional convention made up of elected delegates.

They also point out the lack of a law allowing a people’s initiative, citing a 1997 Supreme Court ruling but constitutional amendment proponents are hoping for a reversal.

"There is a possibility that the decision of the Supreme Court will still be reversed. It is now the people who are speaking (for people’s initiative)," said Lito Monico Lorenzana, chairman of the Charter Change Advocacy Commission.

The panel is spearheading an information campaign to educate the public on the issue. "We want them to go for the people’s initiative. There is a clamor for change. Let us listen to the people. The people are the last arbiter," said Lorenzana.

The people’s initiative could skirt the impasse between the Senate and the administration-dominated House of Representatives, which is pushing for amendments through a constituent assembly made up of members of Congress. — With Aurea Calica, Paolo Romero, Mike Frialde, Jaime Laude