Anything under the sun
Chacha or no?
Let us continue our discussion on other issues.
Charter change or no - Supporters of charter change maintain that this is the fitting time to change our defective Constitution not attuned to solve the current problems of our country.
They point out that some 80 provisions in the present Constitution are not self-executing - meaning, there is a need to pass an enabling law to make them operative.
One example of this is the anti-dynasty provisions which is dormant in the absence of an enabling law. Or the provision on people's initiative where the enabling law is imperfect.
Another defect of the present Constitution is that it dwells more on the specific or particular cases rather than on the general priciples. Cha-cha followers argue that a Constitution shall dwell only on general principles leaving to the legislature to treat on particular or specific issues. It is basic in constitution-making that a good constitution dwells only on general principles.
On the other hand, opponents of cha-cha say that our constitution is good enough. If there be change at all, it must be in the hearts of every Filipino because of the moral decadence we now have. To them, education is the solution - not charter change.
But cha-cha supporters counter that this is easier said than done. They ask: Who will do this? How will it be done? And - how long will this be done?
While we are writing this, beside us is the statement of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) that these questions will be met by non-government organizations like NAMFREL, PPCRV, Citizens Graft Watch and Values Formation.
But these entities have no teeth and their progress is slow. Besides, if they are church organizations they are open to charges of violation of the principle of separation of church and state. And we cannot afford to wait, say ten years, twenty years or thirty years.
Even if the government takes charge of educating our people on moral values, we have to begin from Grade I and it would take ten years for these pupils to become intelligent voters.
But here is hindering factor here. No matter how much we teach moral values to the pupils but if whay they see outside the four walls of the classroom are pornography, illegal gambling, drug addiction, crimes and vices, graft and corruption in the government, then no amount of teaching them moral values in school will make them good citizens.
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