'All-star cast' as city hosts 'cha-cha' forum
Iloilo City -- Ilonggo officials from the city and province came in full force for yesterday's (Tuesday) forum on Charter Change.
Cha-cah commissioners Raul Lambino
and Atty. Romela Bengzon sit as guests
in DYBQ's Budyong Kapehan
Designed as a direct and personal campaign on the whys and hows of the process, commissioners from Manila were in town for a series of forums.
Barangay officials from the city and province of Iloilo came as a panel of officials headed by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez gathered the sentiments of the Ilonggos.
Early on, Cha-Cha commissioners Raul Lambino, Alex Aguilar and Ilongga lawyer Romela Bengzon spoke with the media, highlighting what they said was the urgent need for the people to heed the call for constitutional ammendments.
"It is our blueprint for the future," Bengzon said of her group's advocacy. "And the time is now so we can move on and work for a change in the system."
Similar sentiments from Lambino, a lawyer by profession and professor of Political and Constitutional Law and Remedial Law. And such he added, has been shared in the countryside following the rounds they have made thus far.
"You will be surprised by the enthusiasm of the people. After every forum, they all want their signatures and that is precisely what we want. For the people to get involved," he said.
Aguilar on the other hand spoke of the importance of cha-cha, his role in the group bolstered by his representation from the labor sector.
The Justice Secretary was joined by City Mayor Jerry Treñas and Iloilo Mayors Richard Garin of Guimbal, Raul Bañias of Concepcion and Alex Centena of Calinog among others.
Treñas has apparently placed himself at the forefront of the charter change initiative in this city, calling on barangay officials start the campaign for constitutional change within their respective areas of jurisdiction.
Treñas's move mirrors a similar stirring within other local government units across the country. Recently, Belison, Antique Mayor Christopher Piccio, Press Relation Officer of the League of Municipalities, issued a statement in support of charter change.
"The Arroyo administration has already put in place the badly needed economic reforms; what are needed now are the equivalent political reforms to create a Philippine environment conducive to fast-track growth with social equity."
Piccio said a House (of Representatives) plan to file a resolution this week to push plenary debates on the issue of Cha-cha would match the advocacy campaign by local government units on this critical issue of that of the Charter Change Advocacy Commission (AdCom) which is now on a provincial tour to enlighten the public on the benefits of constitutional reforms.
An LGU-based advocacy campaign to educate the public on the issue of Charter change in has already begun in Central Luzon and in Bicol, led by Nueva Ecija Governor Tomas Joson and Sorsogon Governor Raul Lee.
The AdCom has also started its full scale drive in Luzon, visiting Baguio city and the provinces of Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, and Pangasinan.
The AdCom campaign in the Visayas opens in Panay with discussion forums set in San Jose, Antique this Monday and Iloilo City.