Angelica Toyama & Trisha Casabar
February 25, 2024
"Ang sinasabi outdated daw iyong Constitution natin, na iyong mga lumaban noong EDSA parang pinaglumaan na iyong kanilang mentality ganiyan…Outdated iyong kaisipan na kapag lalo mong hahayaan iyong mga dayuhan sa bansa mo, uunlad ka.”
That is what Kabataan Partylist (KPL) Rep. Raoul Manuel, said in response to the impending amendment of the economic provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution in a conference on Friday, February 23.
The said forum, dubbed "PAG-inform: In-EDSApwera ba?: Revitalizing the Power of the People on the Creation of the 1987 Philippine Constitution," was done in line with the commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution on February 25.
Spearheaded by the Bulacan State University's (BulSU) Alliance of Public Administration Students (ALPAS), the event also sought to bring new views into the essence of democracy and reignite the people's power in shaping the nation's future.
"Naniniwala akong hindi porket hindi tayo magkasinglalim ng pagkamulat ay naglilimita ito sa abilidad natin na magpamulat. Parati tayo sanang maging mapagpalaya mula sa mga bagay na nag-re-restrict upang umalam at maging mulat," said BulSU SG President Arianna de Jesus as she formally commenced the forum.
Supreme Law of the Land
Atty. Arjay Capitle, a faculty member from the BulSU Department of Social Sciences, and among the guest speakers of the program, centered his discussion on historical distortion prevalent in social media, the history of the EDSA People Power Revolution, and the implications of the Charter Change (Cha-Cha) on the 1987 Philippine Constitution that has a pivotal role to guide the country towards a fair and just society according to established law.
“Ang Saligang Batas ang naglalatag ng limitasyon ng kapangyarihan ng gobyerno. Kapag ang gobyerno at ang kapangyarihan niya ay walang limit, ano kaya ang posibleng mangyari? Kahit ano. Kapag ginawa ang kahit ano, ang tawag doon abuso," Capitle explained in accordance to the power of the constitution to keep the government on ground.
He also added that among the functions of the current Philippine Constitution is to protect local industries by limiting the percentage of foreign investment intervention which Congress targets to amend.
"Sunod, limitasyon sa pamumuhunan ng dayuhan sa mga pangunahing industriya ng bansa. Sa Article 12 ng Saligang Batas, iyong National Economy, iyon ang target palitan ng Congress. Gusto nila[ng] magkaroon ng 100% Foreign Investment sa mga pangunahing industriya sa bansa, na sa kasalukuyang set-up ng Saligang Batas, minsan 70/30, 60/40, o purely Filipino-owned," Atty Capitle emphasized.
In the latter part of his speech, he advised students on the controversy surrounding the People's Initiative of Cha-Cha, emphasizing the significance of being aware of the matter.
"Maging mapanuri. Huwag uto-uto. Sikapin natin na iyong ating mga magulang, mga kakilala, mga kamag-anak na paliwanagan,” he encouraged.
Power of the People
Meanwhile, a discussion delving into the attempts to reform the existing Philippine constitution was also highlighted, with KPL representative Manuel getting into the complexities of Cha-Cha, which the current administration has pushed despite controversy.
"Kung kailangan magkaisa ulit ang mamamayan, kumilos ulit nang sama-sama sa iba't ibang mga porma, gawin natin dahil nakita natin na marami pang dapat na gawin. And we have lots of lessons from history, na iyon dapat ang magbigay sa atin ng pag-asa," he said in his speech emphasizing the power of the people.
"Hindi po EDSA ang dahilan kung bakit naghirap ang bansa, hindi po 1987 Constitution ang dahilan bakit tayo naghihirap; naghirap tayo dahil after EDSA, meron pa rin naman tayong mga dapat gawin. After mapatalsik iyong diktador, how can we ensure na wala ulit uusbong na diktador? Na wala iyong power ng mga Political Dynasties, 'di ba?" he further noted, contradicting claims criticizing the movement.
According to ALPAS Adviser, Mr. Masahiro Kobayashi, the program, attended by selected departments, including the Broadcasting and Journalism of the College of Arts and Letters, aimed to empower people to advocate for what is right.
"Ang nais ko po sanang baunin nating lahat mula sa programa na ito ay kung aalisin po natin ang ating takot, ang ating agam-agam, ang ating hiya, [at] ang ating karuwagan, gagawin natin ang tama," Kobayashi asserted in his closing remarks.
Similarly, in an exclusive interview with the publication, Manuel emphasized the event's significance, particularly for young people in light of recent attempts to distort the facts.
“Mahalaga ang mga ganitong mga event dahil sa panahon na laganap ang disinformation panlinlang sa mga kababayan natin patungkol sa EDSA atsaka sa Charter Change, mahalagang equipped ang ating mga kapwa kabataan sa ano ba talaga ang magiging epekto sa tinutulak na Charter Change, political man or economic revisions sa ating konstitusyon.”
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