Local labor group General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA) has expressed its strong opposition to the move to amend the Constitution.
Wennie Sancho, GAWA secretary-general, said: “if there is any change to be made in our Constitution, whether an amendment or revision, it should be done with the active participation of the people, for sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.”
GAWA strongly opposes charter change now because of its untimeliness amid the pandemic, massive unemployment, and economic crisis that should be given primordial consideration by the government and the political leaders rather than tinkering with the Constitution that would open the floodgates for amendments that will have serious and adverse political consequences for the people, he stressed.
Lawmakers have recently renewed talks on charter change (Cha-Cha), with Senators Francis Tolentino and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa having filed Senate Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 calling for the convening Congress as a constituent assembly to introduce “limited amendments” to the 1987 Constitution.
“We shall never allow that the voice of the people be muffled, their interests to be narrowed down and dwarfed. There is no great clamor for charter change nationwide from the people,” Sancho said.
Charter change should not be rushed, he added.*