Lawmakers propose Constitutional Convention in 2010

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino lawmakers have filed a proposed measure providing for the election of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention simultaneous with the 2010 national polls to institute amendments to the Constitution.

Authors of House Bill No. 5564 said holding the election of ConCon delegates in 2010 is not only practical but will also dispel any suspicion of promoting personal interests over the interests of the people.

Amending the Constitution through a ConCon will improve the political and economic situation of the country and make it more receptive to the present needs of the Filipino people, the authors said.

Under the bill, each legislative district will be entitled to one delegate while the twenty percent of the ConCon delegates will come from national, regional or sectoral parties based on proportional representation. However, the total number of delegates shall not exceed 300, the bill provides.

The proponents of the measure believe a ConCon comprised of members from legislative districts and sectoral parties would be the most democratic and transparent means of achieving constitutional reforms.

The bill bars ConCon delegates from running for any public office or assuming any appointive office in any government branch while the ConCon is in session and within one year after its adjournment.

The bill calls for the ratification of the draft constitution during a plebiscite to be held simultaneously with the midterm election scheduled in 2013.

The authors of the measure include Rep. Joseph Emilio A. Abaya (1st District, Cavite), Proceso J. Alcala (2nd District, Quezon), Maria Evita R. Arago (3rd District, Laguna), Rozzano Rufino B. Biazon (Lone District, Muntinlupa City), Mary Mitzi L. Cajayon (2nd District, Caloocan City), Fredenil H. Castro (2nd District, Capiz), Liwayway P. Vinzons-Chato (Lone District, Camarines Norte), Glenn A. Chong (Lone District, Biliran), Solomon R. Chungalao (Lone District, Ifugao), Paul R. Daza (1st District, Northern Samar), Antonio A. del Rosario (1st District, Capiz).

And Rep. Magtanggol T. Gunigundo (2nd District, Valenzuela City), Cecilia M. Seares-Luna (Lone District, Abra), Manuel N. Mamba (3rd District, Cagayan), Hermilando I. Mandanas (2nd District, Batangas), Alvin S. Sandoval (Lone District, Malabon City-Navotas City), Lorenzo R. Tañada III (4th District, Quezon), Niel C. Tupas Jr. (5th District, Iloilo), Reynaldo S. Uy (1st District-Western Samar), and Alfonso V. Umali, Jr (2nd District, Oriental Mindoro). (Abigail Macabeo)

Most Filipinos Reject Chacha - Survey Says

MANILA, Philippines - Majority of Filipinos continue to reject moves to to amend the Constitution or charter change (Cha-cha), according to the results of the latest IBON nationwide survey.

Of the 72.4% of respondents who answered that they were aware of the Arroyo administration’ s moves to amend or change the 1987 Constitution, 77.4% said they were not in favor of such proposals. This is a significant increase from the April 2008 survey round where 68% said they were not in favor of Cha-cha, and from the 74% in October 2007.

Meanwhile, 18.4% said they were in favor of Cha-cha, down from 25.7% in April 2008.

The latest IBON survey was conducted nationwide from October 1 to 10 with 1,494 respondents from various sectors. The survey used a multi-stage probability sampling scheme with a margin of error of plus or minus three percent.

MILF Fighting Erupts In Mindanao

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 22, 2008) – Government forces clashed Monday with suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels in the southern Philippines, as troops continue their hunt for 3 rogue commanders blamed for deadly attacks in Mindanao Island, officials said.

The fighting erupted in Poona Piagapo town in Lanao del Norte, but there were no reports of casualties from both sides. But fierce clashes over the weekend left one government militia dead and four more wounded in Maguindanao province.

Officials said MILF forces attacked a government patrol base, sparking a firefight that also left a still undetermined number of rebels dead and wounded. “At least 30 MILF rebels under Kagui Baddy were involved in the attack that killed one of our militias,” Major Armand Rico, a spokesman for the Army’s Eastern Mindanao Command, told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said security forces were still tracking down rogue rebels headed by Ameril Kato, Abdurahman Macapaar and Sulayman Panglian in Mindanao. The three were tagged as behind the series of attacks last month in North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte and Sarangani provinces that left dozens of civilians dead.

Rebels launched the attacks after the Supreme Court stopped the signing of the territorial deal between Manila and the MILF, which is fighting for a separate homeland in Mindanao, because many of its provisions were unconstitutional.

But the MILF said the peace panels have initially signed the Muslim homeland agreement in July in Malaysia, which is brokering the talks and it would not renegotiate the agreement.

Government peace negotiators and President Gloria Arroyo’s emissaries rushed the signing of the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain with the MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, so she can include it in her state of the nation address on July 28.

The controversial deal also sparked massive protests from politicians opposed to the agreement that would have granted about four million Muslims their homeland in more than 700 villages across Mindanao.

Arroyo later scrapped the Muslim homeland deal and abolished the government team negotiating with the MILF and suspended the peace talks and vowed to achieve peace in the restive region through dialogues and consultations with the communities and political leaders.

Arroyo's allies in Congress have earlier proposed to amend the Constitution to change the system of government from presidential to parliamentary or federalism.

But militant groups have repeatedly accused Arroyo of using the peace talks with the MILF to amend the Constitution and eventually prolong her to stay into power.

Under the presidential form of government, Arroyo is allowed only one six-year term. In the charter change proposal suggested by her political allies who dominate Congress, she can be elected as prime minister should Congress dissolve the Senate and change the system of government to parliamentary and eventually prolong her into power beyond 2010.

Arroyo deposed President Joseph Estrada in a people power revolution in 2001, but corruption scandals in her government and allegations of poll fraud in 2004 has made her extremely unpopular.

The MILF blamed Arroyo and hawkish factions in the government for the collapse of the seven-year old peace talks and warned that a bigger war could erupt if the military continues its offensives against the rebels. (Mindanao Examiner)

Philippines Abandons Homeland Deal With Muslim Rebels

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 29, 2008) – Manila on Friday said it is abandoning the homeland deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, but would still pursue peace talks with the Philippine’s largest Muslim rebel group, officials said.

Government and rebel peace negotiators last month have initially signed the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain. But the Supreme Court stopped the signing of the deal after some lawmakers and politicians opposed to the accord filed separate petitions, saying, there were no public consultations.

The accord would have granted Muslims their own homeland in more than 700 villages across Mindanao, but the deal also sparked a series of protests from politicians and residents opposed to the inclusion of their areas to the agreement that will make up the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

President Gloria Arroyo, who opened peace talks with the MILF in 2001, has shifted in the basic premise of the government's peace effort after hundreds of rebels under Ameril Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar led a series of attacks in the provinces in Mindanao that killed dozens of civilians.

“The focus of our talks shall shift from the armed groups to the communities. The parameters governing our negotiations shall be a balance between the constitutionality and public sentiment,” Arroyo said.

Arroyo said the change in the government's approach to end the Mindanao conflict was prompted by the atrocities committed by the MILF attacks.

Hermogenes Esperon, the presidential peace adviser, said the government will longer sign the ancestral domain deal. “We will not sign the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain, but will continue with further negotiations with the MILF to arrive at final peace deal,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

Esperon earlier said the ancestral domain deal is not self-executing and that there is a need for future discussions as peace negotiators frame the comprehensive peace agreement.

The MILF said it will not anymore negotiate the ancestral domain agreement because peace negotiators have already initialed the deal.

“It is already a done deal and we have been saying this all the time. We will not revisit or renegotiate the agreement on the ancestral domain,” Eid Kabalu, a senior MILF leader, said in a separate interview.

Kabalu said the MILF leadership will have to decide what steps to take after Manila abandoned the Muslim homeland deal. “It is really unfortunate that the Philippine government again reneged on the ancestral domain deal which is the product of long and arduous work of the peace negotiators,” he said.

He said the MILF will not abandon its fight for self-determination. “Our right to self-determination is non-negotiable,” he said. Last year, peace talks also stalled after government negotiators approved the Muslim homeland deal only to reneged it later.

Esperon said granting of independence is not and never was the intent of peace talks. He said it was the same position made by President Gloria Arroyo in her May 6 letter to Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi when the government peace panel and MILF were discussing the peace process.

Government peace negotiators and Arroyo's political allies have earlier proposed to amend the Constitution to change the system of government from presidential to parliamentary or federalism to allow the MILF to have a separate state.

Militant groups and political activists have repeatedly accused Arroyo of using the peace talks with the MILF to amend the Constitution and eventually prolong her to stay into power.

Under the presidential form of government, Arroyo is allowed only one six-year term. In the charter change proposal suggested by her political allies who dominate Congress, she can be elected as prime minister should Congress dissolve the Senate and change the system of government to parliamentary and eventually prolong her into power beyond 2010.

Arroyo deposed President Joseph Estrada in a people power revolution in 2001, but corruption scandals in her government and allegations of poll fraud in 2004 has made her extremely unpopular among many Filipinos.

Manila’s announcement coincided with fresh government assaults on suspected rebel strongholds in Maguindanao and Lanao del Norte provinces, where security forces are pursuing the groups of Kato and Macapaar.

Kabalu said military forces fired cannons and rockets and bombed MILF targets in the provinces in the guise of pursuing the two rogue rebel leaders. “They are attacking us and MILF forces have been ordered to defend themselves,” he said.

Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, a spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the assaults targeted rogue rebels. “This is a punitive action against rogue MILF members and this operation will continue until Kato and Macapaar are captured,” he said.

Manila demanded the MILF to surrender peacefully the two rogue commanders, now wanted by authorities, to face trial over the killings of civilians in the provinces of North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao where rebel forces pillaged villages. Rebels launched the attacks after the aborted signing of the controversial ancestral domain agreement.

The influential Organization of the Islamic Conference condemned the rebel attacks. (Mindanao Examiner)

Groups Accuse Arroyo Of Using Peace Talks With MILF To Prolong Stay In Power

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