By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Unable to move on from the dark years of dictatorship during the first Marcos administration, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Bishop Pablo Virgilio David on Friday warned against the possible consequences of charter change (Cha-Cha), saying the country may slip back to “authoritarianism.”
“Sana hindi binabasta-basta ang pag-amyenda sa ating Constitution nang ganoon-ganoon lang kasi talagang bunga ng dugo, pawis at luha ng sambayanang Pilipino ang ating Konstitusyon at meron itong background,” David said in a Zoom interview.
Earlier, the CBCP issued a pastoral letter criticizing the ongoing people’s initiative that seeks to authorize the Senate and House of Representatives to “vote together” in amending the 1987 Constitution.
The 24 senators have expressed apprehension that their vote will be “drowned” by the votes of the 316 members of the House of Representatives.
“We don’t want to fall again into the slippery slope towards authoritarianism. Nagkaroon na tayo ng tragic experiences in the past, ayaw na nating maulit ito,” David said.
He also echoed the Senate’s criticism of the people’s initiative.
“Kasi you’re already behaving like you are in a unicameral legislature, bicameral tayo, ibig sabihin co-equal branch ang Senado, rerespetuhin ang Kongreso,” David noted.
(el Amigo/MNM)