The CBCP has spoken, and yes like many of us, they expressed outrage over the passing of the House Resolution 1109 which spells constituent assembly. For many of those who are not quite familiar with con-ass, it is a body composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a constitution, the only difference is, its not multi-sectoral but members of the house themselves will take part of the amendment of the constitution. We all know that the most evil of all politicians resides in the house and trust cannot be guaranteed among its members to come up with a wise and sound law over the constitution.

CBCP has finally spoken:

Roman Catholic bishops on Wednesday called on the people to block the “hasty” effort to amend the country’s Constitution.

The bishops said the public should not let President Gloria Arroyo’s allies in Congress to railroad the process of Charter change (Cha-cha).

“I am praying that it will not happen (Cha-cha). I am praying that they (lawmakers) will not succeed,” Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said.

“I hope people would pray too and do something against the plan,” he added.

The House of Representatives approved late Tuesday evening a resolution seeking to revise the 1987 Constitution.

Resolution 1109 calls for Charter change through a constituent assembly (Con-ass) even without Senate participation.

But Lagdameo said what happened last night is an indication of some lawmakers’ blatant disregard of the people’s call for a democratic process.

“It’s like they betrayed the people. We want a democratic participation of the people in this move,” he said. “When power corrupts, it corrupts absolutely.”

Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad said allowing Charter change is like giving ropes to legislators to hang themselves, including Mrs. Arroyo.

“I am afraid that could trigger mass protest and could lead the fall of President Arroyo,” he said.

For his part, Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes also criticized the “self-serving” move of the Congress for a constituent assembly.

“For me this act of the Congress is immoral. It is self-serving and is clearly contrary to the will of the people,” Bastes said.

The influential bishops’ leadership is firm in its stand against Charter change before the 2010 national elections.

The CBCP’s strong objection is always connected with the idea of removing term limits of Mrs. Arroyo.

Lagdameo said the credibility problem of the Cha-Cha proponents is at its worst that ordinary people cannot just take it at face value.

He said that if Charter change is really necessary it must be after the 2010 polls and through a Constitutional Convention. (Roy Lagarde)

Father Joaquin Bernas, the Dean Emeritus of Ateneo University School of Law and who was included in drafting the 1987 constitution, has also expressed his disappointment of the sham in the House of Representatives:

Fr. Joaquin Bernas, a key framer of the 1987 Constitution, said the hasty passage of HR 1109 was for naught as Congress was already considered a constituent assembly “with or without” it.

Bernas, a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission, also echoed observations made by legislators themselves that efforts to amend the Charter at this point would fail for lack of time and funds.

In a morning interview with radio dzBB, Bernas, the dean emeritus of Ateneo de Manila Law School, chastised the House majority for “toying with the Constitution and the people.”

In a later interview with ANC cable television, he accused the congressmen of dismissing the Senate as a coequal in a bicameral legislative body.

“You cannot exclude the Senate … Congress consists of two Houses. The House cannot say ‘we are Congress’ because Congress is the House and the Senate,” Bernas said.

“With or without the resolution, Congress can propose amendments to the Constitution. That resolution is actually useless,” he said.

While Bernas initially said on dzBB that the public should react with outrage to the action of the House majority, he said in a later interview that a peaceful forum might make the lawmakers realize the folly of their deed.

“Let’s just do it peacefully, I guess, but I think it is very important for us to explain where we [stand],” Bernas told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net).

In the ANC interview, Bernas warned congressmen against using the Supreme Court for forum shopping.

Since the hastily passed resolution does not change anything at this point, “there is nothing to bring to the Supreme Court,” he said, adding:

“The Supreme Court can only take up actual controversies involving conflict of rights.”

Besides, if the House drags the Commission on Elections into the fray by asking it to schedule a plebiscite, there is simply no more time and money for this, he added.

The passing of this bill is very timely and orchestrated since Lakas and Kampi merger was done last week in order to gain numbers in the congress to railroad such nonsense. When will the Congress redeem itself from utter shame? It’s like, the congress has been the absolute source of all immorality in the Government: Paid hacks, Judases, forked tongues, rapists, murderers and corruptors of freedom and the constitution. Suffice it to say, Hell freezes over in comparison with soul of the House of Representatives. Shameless indeed!