The Development Society’s Official Stand on HR1109

The Development Society’s Official Stand on HR 1109 On June 2, 2009, the House of Representatives passed House Resolution Number 1109 (HR 1109), which seeks the convening of a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) with the Upper and Lower Houses of Congress voting jointly on amendments to the 1987 Constitution. We, the members of the Development Society, are against the passage of House Resolution 1109 due to the circumstances that surround it, the motives behind it and its implications and possible repercussions in the lives of the Filipino people. The Development Society supports Charter Change, but not through a Con-Ass and most importantly, not before the upcoming 2010 elections. Improper Process and Unbalanced Representation First and foremost, the Development Society does not approve the House of Representative’ s act of bypassing the Senate. This is a blatant disrespect of the political institutions that this country is founded on, particularly of the Upper House of Congress which was built to serve as the partner of the Lower House in crafting laws and resolutions. Even though there are conflicts in the interpretation of Article XVII of the Constitution which states that “any amendment to or revision of the Constitution may be proposed by the Congress upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members,” allowing Congress to vote jointly would effectively render the Senate insignificant as three-fourths of the House of Representatives alone is already enough to fulfill the number of votes required to pass the resolution, even if all members of the Senate vote against it. Second, the Development Society prefers a Constitutional Convention instead of a Constituent Assembly, as this would allow for a better representation of the different sectors of society in making amendments on the Constitution. This is essential because this matter is something that will ultimately affect each and every Filipino’s life. Moreover, the House of Representatives should have allowed for more discussions on the resolution, both within Congress and with the general public. The Lower House should undergo a more in-depth discussion regarding the matter and allowed the Upper House to do the same thing, so that both Houses of Congress could have been represented in the decision better. At the very least, public consultations should be done by the individual members of Congress with their constituents to allow for a more just and fair representation of the population, since these people were elected to serve as the representatives of the people – not to act arbitrarily out of their own personal interests.The Development Society believes that all of these should be done to empower the citizenry by engaging them in the political processes in the country. Wrong Timing and Unclear Priorities The Development Society also believes that now is not the right time to explore possibilities of having a Charter Change. The whole world is facing a global financial crisis. The people’s money are being spent to revitalize national economies but the effect is still strong – businesses are shutting down and people are losing jobs. To bring it closer to home, our Overseas Filipino Workers, considered as the heroes of today, are returning without jobs and remitting less money. To convene a Constituent Assembly and amend the Constitution during this time of economic crisis is denying the people the support and help that they need from the State. This would require huge amounts of resources – not only in terms of economic assets, but of human capital, time, and other resources which could be diverted to the more urgent needs of the country such as generation of employment and provision of basic services that the Filipino people, especially the people who are in poverty, are in dire need of. Convening a Constituent Assembly now is even more untimely due to the upcoming 2010 elections. Given the fact that this crucial point in Philippine history is happening already in less than a year, it is even more untimely for Congress to push for a Charter Change. The elections will inevitably be affected because there is not enough time left to make amendments and ratify the Constitution. This transition period between the current administration and the next is very unstable and therefore vulnerable to various unwanted scenarios that may happen when there is no stable Constitution to hold on. The Development Society therefore believes that it would be best to keep the Constitution during this time of great political paradigm shifts. To let the 2010 elections be hampered by an untimely Charter Change is to deny the people the ability to choose their own leaders – a basic right that nobody, not even the current leaders, have the right to take away from the people. A Call to the People The biggest question therefore is why the majority of the House of Representatives who voted for HR1109 are in such a haste to amend the Constitution. The Development Society believes that ample time should be alloted for crucial decisions like this. More time should be alloted for deliberations, and public discussions and consultations should be held nationwide before this huge step is undertaken by our Representatives. The Development Society is encouraging people to be duly informed about the issue and be involved in whatever way they can. It is important that we, as responsible citizens of this country, be aware of what is happening and let our opinions be heard. We should remind our leaders that we elected them for them to represent the interests of the people. Our voices are important and should be taken into consideration when our leaders make crucial decisions such as HR1109 that will affect the lives of the whole population of the Philippines not only today, but of future generations as well.