Fight is Sweet

Plots to tinker with the Constitution will not succeed. Any country who senses that its sacred laws are to be changed to advance the cause of a few individuals or to extend the terms of office of a national leader will fight tooth and nail to prevent it from happening. Why is that? It's elementary. The Constitution is the reason why a country exists or why its people behave. It is a set of laws that that is the lifeline to the country's continuing survival. It can be amended to add more changes that will protect the rights of its people or cause progress and prosperity to grow, but the procedure to amend it takes time and countless procedures and discussions emanate. It does not happen at the whim of one person trying to find a way to perpetuate himself or herself in power. The people can easily sense whether attempts to inject amendments to their Constitution are just extension of plots by misguided sectors of society, including those in the seats of power, to continue with their brazen cling to power. Then what follows are concerted efforts to prevent the Constitution from being "raped" by gangs of corrupt leaders and misguided military officers masquerading as protectors of the people. This is now what is happening in the Philippines. It maybe difficult to foresee what the outcome will be, but once you fight tooth and nail to protect your Constitution from being destroyed or tinkered with, the fight is just sweet.

Justiciable Controversy and other Confusing Legal Terms

It looks like the proponents of Charter Change and Parliamentary form of government in the Philippines are using all the tricks in the book in order to advance their plan to perpetuate their hold to power. They've tried floating several political alternatives and designs to ameliorate Philippine society and presumably, to attain economic sufficiency and progress. One design is to inject amendments to the present Charter. But it is being done with such haste and speed that one suspects there is a heinous plot percolating under it. Pro-Administration congressmen forced the overnight approval of HR 1109, a resolution expressing the wish of the Lower House to convene as a constituent assembly to discuss amendments to the Constitution. This proposed assembly challenges a legal requirement, that of including the Senate vote for a constituent assembly. Now comes a term being introduced in the continuing attempt to make the public discusssion of issues very foggy and confusing. The term is "justiciable controversy". Only lawyers and those who go to libraries and check the Internet can avail of the meaning of this term. The other Filipinos, those millions of countrymen who work, if they have work, day in and day out to eke out a living and put food in the table for their families and loved ones, are expected to be confused and puzzled. Silence and avoidance to participate in public discussions would be the result. In short, there is an attempt by those looking for a way out to escape the wrath of the entire Filipino race for the abuses and plunder they've committed, to confuse everything. By so doing, those in power will continue to amass more opportunity to hold on to power and extend their stranglehold of the country.