The dice have been cast

As they often say, the dice have been cast or thrown; now, the second phase is the counting.

That seems to be the case with the issue of the People's Initiative for Charter change. It seems even the brightest and most vigilant among our senators and various non-government organizations have been caught with their pants down.

Of course, they keep ranting that it is unconstitutional, that it lacks the enabling act. And others, like Bayan, claim that majority of the people, especially Bacoleños and Negrenses, are opposed to Charter change via "people's initiative."

But there has been no mobilization of the masses to counter the government's drive via local barangay officials. In short, they are voices in the wilderness. Ranting and frothing sans a bite.

Now, one has to examine only the bases for the optimistic prediction of Speaker Jose De Venecia that the unicameral Parliament will be activated sometime in July. That seems overly optimistic.

But if one had listened to his antecedent explanations about the "people's initiative," he had pointed out early this week during his visit to Bacolod that it simply tackles only one question - the shift to the parliamentary system from the present presidential form of government.

In short, legal minds must have truly analyzed that position very meticulously. In short, one reason why the charter change had confined itself to only one subject, may be the provision that people's initiative must tackle only one area of concern. That, to a certain extent, was designed precisely to bypass the need for an enabling act prior to the political exercise.

That, of course, can be challenged in court later. But that will be after the fact. And De Venecia and company can argue before the court that they had faithfully followed the rule on "people's initiative".

One may consider Joe DeV as "out of this world", but one must never underestimate the House leader. As I had previously pointed out, he has a way of tangentially addressing an obstacle. And he may just get what he wants.

In an aside after the press conference at the Bacolod Pavilion, Joe told me pointblank - "I think we can have it."

Note, for example, that DILG explained that it did not have a hand in the conduct of the people's initiative, pointing out that its role was confined solely to monitor the barangay assembly.

That's the euphemism for keeping their hands off whatever the barangay voters would decide on afterwards.

***

There was something that caught my eye yesterday, this was the report that principal Elizabeth Romano of the New Mabuhay Elementary School in General Santos City had said she was investigating a complaint filed by a number of Grade 6 pupils against teacher Susana Quiambao.

The parents of the school kids claim that a girl had dropped out class after she was forced to take off her blouse exposing her breasts to the class.

Several others, according to parents, reportedly were forced to do the same -- undress in front of the class. The boys had to remove their pants and the girls taking off their blouses.

Quiambao reportedly claimed the schoolchildren did so voluntarily. The punishment reportedly had the concurrence of the entire class.

Now, if one were to examine that excuse, it is full of holes. First, one must consider that these are adolescent boys and girls. And, in line with our culture, our adolescent children are not only shy about disrobing in front of others, for them doing so is a traumatic experience.

It's about time that Ms. Romano, filed administrative charges against Ms. Quiambao for handing out severe and harmful punishment on her pupils. And, if necessary, the parents themselves should file the necessary criminal and administrative charges against the schoolteacher.

Now, how many teachers in our province are doing the same thing? That's for the parents to expose themselves. And their children.

We cannot allow such violation of rights of children to remain unacted upon. These must be stopped once and for all.

***

There is something very wrong with our intelligence agencies which marked down Julius Mariveles as Bayan Muna secretary-general after he had resigned from Bayan a long time ago and gone into full-time journalism.

Besides, what's wrong with being a Bayan official?

But putting a journalist since 2002, Mariveles, in the Order of Battle of the military is to virtually declare it open city for anyone to take a potshot at Julius. Worse, it contravenes the very purpose for the policy of attraction of the government.*

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