‘Bawi-pirma’ to fight ‘initiative’

Political leaders and members of civil society groups vowed yesterday to counter moves to amend the Constitution as they launched a "bawi-pirma" campaign aimed at exposing deception in the gathering of signatures for the people’s initiative.

Former education secretary Florencio Abad said the camp of Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay will assist in gathering affidavits from individuals whose names were used by the people’s initiative convenor Sigaw ng Bayan in their signature-gathering campaign to effect Charter change (Cha-cha).

Abad said the "bawi-pirma" campaign is among the recommendations agreed upon by his group during a dialogue with non-government organizations (NGOs) and sectoral representatives yesterday during the launch of STOP (Sa Tamang Oras at Paraan) Cha-cha at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan.

During the launch, Abad said Binay, who is representing the United Opposition, has committed to aggressively pursue legal action to stop moves to effect Charter change.

Abad is among the "Hyatt 10," the group of ranking government officials who resigned en masse on July 8 last year and called on President Arroyo to follow suit.

At the local level, the validity of signatures may be questioned in the municipal and regional Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices.

The complaints will focus on reports of signatures gathered through threat and intimidation, and those that support reports of bribery, organizers said.

Pro-forma affidavits are being readied to contradict claims of Sigaw ng Bayan that they have so far gathered 8 million signatures nationwide for the people’s initiative.

The opposition is also lining up witnesses to the "fraudulent gathering of signatures" as well as evidence that would prove the illegal use of government resources and funds in the pro-Charter change campaign, Abad said.

A group of congressmen, led by Akbayan party-list Rep. Etta Rosales, strongly proclaimed that they want Mrs. Arroyo to step down before even discussing Charter change.

They added that the legitimacy and credibility of Mrs. Arroyo’s hold on the presidency remain in question, and pushed for "TANGO," an acronym for "Tanggalin si Gloria Arroyo (Remove Gloria Arroyo)."

Abad said Senate President Franklin Drilon and former President Corazon Aquino have agreed to conduct a massive anti-Charter change campaign on national and local fronts, with heavy legal support and backing from the Roman Catholic Church.

"Cha-cha will be stopped in its tracks. This will effectively derail the Cha-cha train because we will have the citizens involved. The people will lead efforts to stop the Cha-cha train," Drilon said.

Urban poor groups and NGO leaders urged Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) vice president Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, who was at the launch, to bring the campaign inside the churches through pastoral letters and sermons.

"I was there at the meeting to share the sentiments of the bishops on the issue. But it does not necessarily mean that we are joining the movement," he told The STAR.

Ledesma said he only attended the launch "to show that Catholic bishops are concerned over the issue" and not to forge an alliance with other critics of the people’s initiative signature-gathering drive.

Bad timing

Aquino questioned the timing of efforts to effect Charter change and why it was being pushed so aggressively. She said it was not time to amend the Constitution and change the form of government because the people have yet to be educated on the issues.

"It is important that those of us who can do some explaining about what Cha-cha entails should do that. All of us have the duty to make sure that our people understand what they are up against," she said.

Aquino said that while she is for "amendments, not at this time because there are more serious problems that we have to address."

Drilon said Aquino will focus on providing moral leadership together with the CBCP regarding moves to oppose Charter change.

Organizers refused to name the financiers of the movement, but coffee was overflowing at the Kalayaan Hall of the historic Club Filipino where Aquino was sworn into office in 1986.

A meal of fish fillet with mixed vegetables, mushroom soup and macaroni salad was served for lunch while participants went into group discussion.

A number of senators who earlier called for Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation — Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Senators Jamby Madrigal, Panfilo Lacson and Sergio Osmeña — did not show up at the launch. Also a no-show was Sen. Richard Gordon.

Sen. Pia Cayetano and her brother, Taguig Rep. Alan Cayetano, joined the group discussions.

Senators Francis Pangilinan, Rodolfo Biazon and Manuel Roxas II — all Drilon’s allies in the Liberal Party — were also not present at the launch. Pangilinan was reportedly celebrating his wedding anniversary with his actress-wife Sharon Cuneta abroad.

Stop Cha-cha express

Drilon is optimistic that they can still stop Mrs. Arroyo’s Cha-cha express because amending the Constitution is a long process.

The people’s initiative, if considered valid by the Supreme Court, still has to hurdle a number of stages before a plebiscite can be conducted to determine if voters approve of shifting to a parliamentary system.

"The people’s initiative is just to authorize the holding of the plebiscite. It doesn’t mean that the Supreme Court says the people’s initiative is valid, everything is finished. It is just a ruling that the process of amending the Constitution can now begin. The process will end if the (amendments) will finally be ratified," Drilon said.

Before the dialogue, former Vice President Teofisto Guingona said it is not the right time to change the form of government, which should happen only after Mrs. Arroyo has resigned or stepped down from office.

Guingona, Aquino, Drilon and Abad all agreed that the government’s move to amend the Constitution is part of a big "deception" to divert the people’s attention away from the issue of Mrs. Arroyo’s legitimacy as president.

They added that Charter change efforts are also illegal and immoral because they are aimed at extending Mrs. Arroyo’s term.

Former social welfare secretary Corazon Soliman said participants from the business, church and political fronts have committed to fight efforts to amend the Constitution "because it is illegal, it is immoral, and present anti-people provisions and most of all, it presents the possibility of (Mrs. Arroyo) staying in power even beyond 2010."

Soliman said the main objective of the verification of signatures is to expose fraud.

A participant at yesterday’s launch said there should be an "avalanche of TRO (temporary restraining orders)" before the Supreme Court to ensure that Mrs. Arroyo’s Cha-cha train is derailed.

The Senate will conduct an inquiry on basis of a resolution signed by 21 senators questioning the role of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the people’s initiative.

Apart from tackling the legal issues, Soliman said anti-Cha-cha groups also agreed to conduct a road show and an intensified information campaign against Charter change nationwide.

Former senator Vicente Paterno, of the Bishop-Businessmen’s Conference, said the people should not wait for the Church to lead the anti-Cha-cha campaign in the streets, as the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin did in 1986.

Paterno said the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has outlined its moral stand. He added that it is time for Catholic organizations such as Couples for Christ and the laity to be called to action. — With Edu Punay, Marvin Sy