Dancing the cha-cha with boogie steps

THAT’S what the increasing brouhaha about Charter change could amount to. The aim, it is said, among others, is to make amendments to the Constitution so as to liberalize the economy, particularly the entry of foreign investments which is riddled with nationalist provisions.

But it is rather premature to discuss merits in this aspect. What began as a quiet signature campaign by Pirma (People’s Initiative for Reform Modernization and Action) for constitutional change has, once it got into the awareness of the foul-mouthing former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte, exploded into a veritable conflagration threatening to consume the nation. Already, Digong has conducted two prayer rallies socalled — the first one in Davao and the second in Cebu — in which, as expected, he mouthed invectives against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Immediately, what strikes the keen observer are two questions. One, why fault Bongbong for that Charter change (Cha-cha) campaign which eventually has been uncovered as, in fact, a handiwork of House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez? Duterte went to the extent of not only cussing Bongbong “p ******* a” but also calling him “bangag” and “adik na presidente.”

In the first rally, Duterte called out the huge expenditure by Pirma in gathering people’s signatures. Some reports place the signatories at P57 million, with each person reportedly being paid a hundred pesos. It would appear Duterte has reason to rile thus: “Congress is the most corrupt government agency … Pera ng bayan ‘yang winawaldas n’yo.” At any rate, words to this effect.

The other question certainly stuns. For just those two rallies, millions upon millions of pesos must have been spent. Particularly in the Cebu event, top-notch million-peso-talent-fee-charging entertainment personalities led by Willy Revillame were featured guests. For a former president who prides in not owning even a semblance of a luxurious home after six years in office, where on earth does he get the huge fortune needed to bankroll his “prayer rallies?”

Food for our thoughts, in any case. For one who suddenly entertains thoughts of returning to power, his current actions must betray he is well in possession of the enormous funds needed for the undertaking.

Meantime, what appears at the Senate is a seemingly disjointed rejoinder by Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri.

“If Cha-cha will mean a weakening of the institution of the Senate, I will step down from my post,” he declared in a press conference on Tuesday.

But of course! What would still be there for you to be president of? A Senate that is no longer there?

Duterte is more straight to the point. He sees early on that Chacha will lead to the installation of the parliamentary form of government which will efface the post of the vice president. He summons every belligerence against Bongbong not because the Cha-cha Bongbong clandestinely pushes is bad, but because it will forever remove the presidency from the reach of his daughter.

How Duterte boogies in this respect. He declares the Constitution as inviolable, never to be trampled with. Oh, yes? What was EDSA 1 in the first place? Didn’t it trash the 1973 Constitution? Did Duterte ever cry foul? Nahh! Both his parents were beneficiaries in Davao of the Cory uprising. The current Cha-cha ditty is turning out to be a grand show of the innermost music in Duterte’s soul.

He threatened, “Baka umalis ka ng Malakanyang katulad ng iyong ama.”

Oh, Duterte, you cannot forget that it was America which kidnapped the Marcoses in 1986 and spirited them off to Hawaii. Are you saying now, you are amenable to having the United States again do the same thing to Bongbong for you to be installed back in power as you constantly proclaim in your rally?

But aren’t you anti-America, as you proudly affirmed time and again during your entire term! Pity the Philippines!

We never tire of politicians. What we need are servants of the people. The Marcos senior appeared headed for that mold. Just too bad that he could not, for all his serious attempts, measure up to the immense power of America which subdued him in the end. At the memorial for his father in1989, Bongbong acknowledged he was being faced with the awesome responsibility of filling in the shoes of his father.

For that reason, I consistently rooted for him the entire way in

his journey to Malacañang. Just too bad that early on, he, too, like his father, must fold knees to America. From a China-friendly stance before winning the presidency, he made what appeared to be a radical turnaround the minute he sat as president. Worse, he repeatedly declared the resolve never to relinquish to any foreign power even a square inch of the territory of the Philippines.

That surely sounded brilliant for presidential rhetoric. Actually, it was already an empty braggadocio. What are the nine Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites but square kilometers upon square kilometers of Philippine territory virtually ceded to America gratis et amore?

Under the agreement, America is allowed unrestricted deployment of troops and war equipment inside the agreed sites completely sans inspection by Philippine authorities. The Philippines has ceded to America all measures of control and authority over those EDCA sites.

Worse, if America needs to construct fixed structures which they cannot take away in the event they decide to leave, the treaty requires the Philippine government to pay for those structures.

Such a dastardly affront to Philippine sovereignty is among the many ills a constitutional change needs to cure.

Besides, all of America’s military agreements with the Philippines — the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951, Visiting Forces Agreement of 1998 and EDCA of 2014 — are instruments of war. As such they should be violative of Section 2 of the Constitution which states:

“The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy, adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land and adheres to the policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom, cooperation and amity with all nations.”

Why engage in war agreements when the country renounces war as an instrument of national policy?

In all serious reckoning, Chacha needs to be done. Particularly in regard to the operation of public utilities such as water and electricity, which are among the most basic concerns of the people, best would be to restore these to the nationalization exercised by Bongbong’s father. The Corazon “Cory” Aquino constitution delivered public utilities lock, stock and barrel to the oligarchs.

Quite evidently, this has to be remedied, and the remedy can only come through constitutional change.

Some wheeling and dealing has begun in the Senate. There is a reported move to replace Senate President Zubiri with Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, with the issue being who between the two favors Chacha. Sen. Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos belies the report.

“It is Senate President Miguel Zubiri who is gathering signatures of support,” she said.

One thing is certain about the brewing controversy. From the administration of the late Fidel Ramos, down to Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Benigno Aquino 3rd and Rodrigo Duterte, there had been attempts to change the Constitution. This fact alone must prove the Constitution is bad.

It’s human nature that senators would wish to keep their seats. But think of the nation. Above all, you are there to serve.

The music is cha-cha. Dance it and feel great.