KIKO PANGILINAN DECRIES ADMINISTRATION'S
PUSH OF CHACHA BILL

"Against everyone's disapproval, against the public cries of condemnation, the administration seems indifferent and apathetic to the Filipinos' sentiments with its push for Chacha," laments independent senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan upon Congress' unwavering push for the passing of House Resolution 1109, forming a House-only Constituent Assembly.

"Walang budget, walang panahon, walang kakayahan ang COMELEC sa referendum na binabalak nila. King bakit nila pinipilit ang Chacha ay nakakapagtaka at nakakabahala. Sino ang nasa likod ng puwersahang pagpasa nito? Bakit nila pinpilit ang bagay na isinusuka ng taumbayan? The country is at a pivotal point, and everyone is gearing up for 2010 elections. What else are we to think of the resolution aside from it effectively derailing the national elections?"

When the Chacha bill passes, a constitutional assembly may now be convened after the July 27 SONA.

"Even a first-year law student would know that this is unconstitutional, hence illegal. But it's hard to make anyone understand these implications if they are unwilling to understand in the first place. They are like heat-seeking missiles with just one target in mind."

Pangilinan authored Senate Resolution 811, expressing the sense of the Senate that any attempt by the House of Representatives to amend the constitution without the approval by three-fourths of the Senate voting separately is unconstitutional. The Senate unanimously adopted the resolution.

Pangilinan reiterated: "This 'damn the torpedoes' attitude by admin allies in the House of Representatives is unbelievable. Assuming for the sake of argument that they get the Supreme Court to rule in favor of a patently illegal House-only ConAss, where will they get the funds for Chacha? Will they vote to appropriate funds by themselves alone even without the Senate acting on the appropriation measure?"

"The abolition of the Senate, if it is so desired by a legal constituent assembly, happens after Chacha is done and never before it. The Senate won't do it and the COMELEC has already said it can't do a ChaCha referendum at this point. It's a pointless exercise and a waste of precious time and resources."

"This ChaCha push by the administration shows how out of touch it is with reality," Pangilinan emphasized.