A classic case of “the pot calling the kettle black.”
This was the reply of Senator Chiz Escudero when asked to comment on the challenge to the senators made by House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe to declare their position on the Charter change (Cha-cha) issue.
Escudero turned the table and dared Dalipe as well as the other congressmen to finally admit in public that the House of Representatives was behind the “fake” people’s initiative signature campaign to amend the 1987 Constitution.
“Why don’t they come out in the open, be accountable and admit to the public that they are truly the ones behind this pekeng People’s Initiative instead of doing a striptease?” the veteran legislator asked.
Noong una, sinasabi nila ‘wala kaming kinalaman dyan’ then, sumunod na sinasabi na sila ay ‘facilitator but not orchestrator…’ and now, they have the nerve to say ‘titigil namin ang PI pag pinasa nila ang RBH6’,” the seasoned lawmaker pointed out.
“It would bode well for them to heed their own Speaker’s words when he quoted the saying ‘People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’.”
“It would bode well for them to heed their own Speaker’s words when he quoted the saying ‘People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’,” the Bicolano senator added.
Escudero said he and his colleagues will bare their stand on the proposed Charter change at a proper time.
At present, the Sub-Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, which is tackling the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 (RBH6) that seeks to review the economic provisions of the 37-year-old Constitution, has just started its public hearing.
On its first hearing recently, he challenged the proponents of Cha-cha to present solid data to back their argument on the need to revise the Constitution instead of misrepresenting opinions as facts.
“Wala naman silang maipakitang datos o surveys na magpapatunay na ito ang sentimiyento ng mga negosyante at ng mamamayang Pilipino.”
“Sinasabi nila kailangan nang amyendahan ang ating Saligang Batas dahil obsolete na ang ilan sa mga economic provisions dito at dahil diyan ay nagdadalawang-isip ang mga foreign investors na magnegosyo dito sa atin,” Escudero said. “Pero wala naman silang maipakitang datos o surveys na magpapatunay na ito ang sentimiyento ng mga negosyante at ng mamamayang Pilipino.”
Escudero, said those opposing ChaCha, on the other hand, have presented their case with rock hard facts and well-researched studies at the committee hearing presided by Senator Sonny Angara.
“To make their arguments credible, those advocating for Charter change at this time should present before the Senate committee credible data at hindi lang mga sabi-sabi,” he pointed out. “Sabi nila, gusto ng business community ang pag-amyenda sa mga economic provisions. Asan ang patunay?”
