MURCIA, Negros Occidental -- Vice President Noli de Castro yesterday said he is for Charter Change through a Constitutional Convention, but will leave it up to the public to decide if they want it done through a people's initiative or not.

"If the people want it, what can we do? Government officials just follow what the people want, not what we want, but what is best for the majority," he said.

Barangay assemblies throughout the country today initiated by the Department of Interior and Local Government are reportedly set to be used by pro-Arroyo officials to launch the campaign for Charter Change through a people's initiative.

But Negros Occidental provincial DILG director Ma. Joy Maredith Madayag said the Cha-cha is not on the agenda of the barangay assemblies. However, if the barangay officials and residents want to discuss Cha-cha, there is nothing that is stopping them from doing so, she said.

She said the DILG is not the one distributing forms for people to sign calling for cha-cha through a people's initiative.

House Speaker Jose De Venecia, who was in Negros Occidental Monday, said the nationwide launching of the people's initiative to change the country's form of government from bicameral presidential to unicameral parliamentary will be held today.

To get a people's initiative off the ground signatures of 12 percent or 4.8 million of Filipino voters, with not less than 3 percent in any congressional district, throughout the Philippines are needed, de Venecia said.

The people's initiative being facilitated by the DILG, local government units and the barangays is of doubtful legality on the grounds that the intent of the framers of the Constitution is for amendments by initiative to be available to ordinary citizens or private people's organizations and not to government officials, Senator Francis Pangilinan told the DAILY STAR Thursday.

"With the use of government funds in this undertaking, what we have before us therefore appears to be a government initiative and not a people's initiative," he said.

De Castro when asked for his comment on the statement that the move for Cha-cha has become more a government than a people's initiative said that depends on who is saying it.

Let us first see if there is really a people's initiative, he said.

Let us give the people information and let's ask them what they want - if they want to change the form of government that is up to them, he said.

However, he said that when he was senator, he supported the move to change the Constitution through a Constitutional Convention and has not changed his position.

He said he is not like other officials who change their positions if the move will benefit them. A ConCon would allow others to participate in changing the Constitution, he said.

De Castro was here for the signing of a memorandum of understanding and the laying of the cornerstone for the Kabayan Housing Program for government employees being implemented by the Gawad Kalinga and the Murcia local government (story on page 7).

EB Magalona Mayor Alfonso Gamboa said he is wondering why the people's initiative is so suddenly being pushed on the people, it should be a long process to enable the people understand Charter change and not just through one barangay assembly.

The statement of Speaker de Venecia that Cha-Cha is the only hope of the country is self-serving. The solution to the problems of the country lies in local governments who are addressing the people's needs, he said.

"There are hidden motives for the pushing of the people's initiative. Whether it is good for the people, I do not see it because they do not even understand what is happening to the nation now, they might become more confused," he said.

"Government in Manila does not feel the situation in the rural areas particularly in the barangays," he said.

Himamaylan Mayor Carmenia Bascon said she is for discussing the people's initiative at the barangay assemblies today so the people will understand what Charter Change is all about.

Signatures of the people should be gathered right away so we can start Charter Change, she said.

Charter change should be now because the presidential election is a long way off yet, she said.

The people's initiative brings the fundamental issue of political reform to the grassroots, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in a statement yesterday.

"It is real democracy in action. It not only will educate our people on the key strategic issues facing our nation, it will also allow them to directly participate in working for the stability and betterment of our society," the statement said.

The public has a constitutionally guaranteed right to seek amendments to our Constitution, and the people's initiative is a response to the continuing gridlock that prevents our legislators from agreeing on the process of amending our Basic Law, it said.*CPG

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