Philippines: Arroyo looks for new means to Cha Cha.

This is from philstar.
Arroyo seems bound and determined to pursue cha cha although there is a huge opposition to it at this time among the population, including the Roman Catholic Church. Her aim is to allow her to stay in power for a longer term.


House eyes 3rd Cha-cha mode By Jess Diaz Updated December 08, 2008 12:00 AM
The House of Representatives is exploring a third mode for Charter change (Cha-cha) that congressmen hope would be more acceptable to the people and the Senate.
Majority Leader Arthur Defensor has told reporters that besides a constituent assembly (con-ass) and a constitutional convention (con-con), another way of amending the Constitution is to treat proposed Charter changes like ordinary bills and resolutions.
“Under our rules, proposed amendments are to be treated like bills and resolutions. They go through three readings. They are sent to the committees and then reported back to the House. If the House approves them, they are sent to the Senate for its own approval,” he said.
However, Defensor said the Senate rules do not provide for this manner of proposing Charter amendments.
He said this is the route taken by Resolution 737, which seeks to amend the Constitution to allow foreigners to own land here.
Speaker Prospero Nograles is the principal author of the resolution, which is now pending with the committee on constitutional amendments chaired by La Union Rep. Victor Ortega.
A con-ass is Congress itself, wherein the Senate and the House convene to recommend Charter amendments. The major objection to a con-ass is that its members could extend their term of office and that of President Arroyo.
A con-con, on the other hand, is a body formed by Congress through a law. It would be composed of delegates elected from congressional districts. Congress would specify how many delegates per district. A con-con is thus a costly proposition.
Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez, a member of the Ortega committee, said the panel agreed in its last meeting to use the Cha-cha mode enshrined in the House rules.
“There has been what I consider a major development as far as amending the Constitution is concerned. And that is, instead of wholesale amendments through a con-ass or a con-con, we are now talking of a specific amendment through Resolution 737 of Speaker Nograles,” he said.
Golez said under Section 140, Rule 20 of the rules of procedure of the House, amendments like those Nograles proposes in his resolution “would follow the same procedure as bills.”