MANILA, Philippines鈥擲enate President Franklin Drilon on Thursday said President Aquino was not interested in a second term.
Drilon, a member of the Liberal Party (LP) executive committee, endorsed a party meeting on Tuesday suggested by Budget Secretary Florencio Abad to clarify what Mr. Aquino meant when he said 鈥渉e was not really interested in a second term.鈥�
The LP will hold the special meeting at its 鈥淏alay鈥� headquarters to tackle Charter change (Cha-cha) initiatives.
Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Other politicians, such as Vice President Jejomar Binay, who has indicated his intention to run for President, frowned on moves to amend the Constitution to allow Aquino to seek another term.
Binay said prodding the President to support Cha-cha so he could extend his term would endanger democracy in the country.
A proposal for Aquino to run for another term drew the support of at least one person close to Malaca帽ang.
PSG chaplain
Msgr. Daniel Tansip, chaplain of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), said he wanted the President to prolong his public service and sustain the reforms begun under his administration.
鈥淥ur loved ones who have gone ahead of us are happy and joyful in heaven when they see us here on earth helping and contributing our efforts to make other lives better,鈥� Tansip said.
In a homily during Mass marking the 31st anniversary of the murder of former Sen. Benigno 鈥淣inoy鈥� S. Aquino in 1983, Tansip spoke of the need to 鈥渕ake the lives of our countrymen better by moving forward in聽 the right direction鈥攖he straight path.鈥�
Tansip added that if he were to be followed, 鈥淚 wish the public service of our beloved President would not end so that what has begun as an effort to follow the straight path would continue.鈥�
鈥楴inoy would be proud鈥�
It was not clear how Aquino reacted to Tansip鈥檚 homily. Reporters could not see him well from the media box set up at Manila Memorial Park, where the anniversary rites were held.
Tansip said: 鈥淲henever there is a death anniversary, it is good to find time to spend quietly at the grave of our loved one because this teaches us something. A priest once said the ones who can best teach us how to face the challenges in our lives are our departed loved ones because they have already conquered life鈥檚 challenges.鈥�
鈥淧erhaps if Sir Ninoy were alive today, he would be very, very proud of his son鈥攅specially because he has begun so many changes toward the straight path,鈥� the priest added.
Drilon disagreed.
鈥淗e is not interested in amending the Constitution during his term, so we should end all this talk,鈥� Drilon said.
Aquino鈥檚 father was shot dead on his return from the United States in 1983, planting the seeds of the Edsa People Power Revolution that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Aquino-Roxas ticket
Should the Cha-cha efforts聽 succeed in lifting term limits, the LP is expected to field an Aquino-Roxas ticket in 2016, the same tandem it fielded in 2010.
Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice said the special meeting would be the first time the LP would tackle the Cha-cha political reforms which have divided its leaders.
鈥淲e cannot avoid but address the President鈥檚 Cha-cha wishes in the meeting,鈥� Erice said in a phone interview.
Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said he expected Drilon and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to attend the Balay meeting. Both Drilon and Belmonte have opposed any move to lift term limits but backed a Cha-cha initiative limited to economic reforms.
Democracy in peril
Binay on Thursday said forces prodding Aquino to amend the Constitution and extend his term were putting democracy in the country in peril.
鈥淚 urge all of you who have been comrades in the struggle against the (Marcos) dictatorship to be active in stopping this insidious plan clad in the guise of good intentions,鈥� Binay said in a speech to mark the elder Aquino鈥檚 martyrdom.
鈥淭his, I believe, is how we can best protect the legacy of Ninoy Aquino and ensure that our struggle to bring back a working democracy that serves the interests of the people, and not of a selfish few, will not be in vain,鈥� he said.
Importance of democracy
It was the third time in recent days that Binay, who has declared his bid to run for President, spoke out against moves to amend the 1987 Constitution.
Binay attended Thursday鈥檚 commemoration of Ninoy Aquino鈥檚 death anniversary organized by the Ninoy Aquino Movement (NAM), which was held at the airport tarmac, where the senator was gunned down.
Binay was awarded the Medal of Valor by NAM for his role in fighting the Marcos dictatorship.
In his speech, Binay underscored the importance of democracy in the country and the need for its leaders to 鈥渘urture鈥� it.
鈥淣ow, our democracy is again facing danger because of those wanting to stay in power after 2016聽 who are pushing for the President to allow Charter amendments to remove term limits 鈥� and reduce the power of the Supreme Court,鈥� Binay said.
Insurance vs dictatorship
Binay made it clear the Constitution granted the judiciary powers to prevent a repeat of a 聽dictatorship.
鈥淪uch power is our insurance against the threat of another dictatorship and the ensuing encroachment upon our liberties,鈥� he said.
Binay said he was certain he was 鈥渘ot alone in the view that we must never allow partisan inclinations to erode the institutions that guarantee our freedoms.鈥�
To reporters, the Vice President insisted that there were many people pushing Aquino to extend his term and this would be a 鈥渟ad鈥� thing if this would happen.
Even allies are against it
Both allies and critics of Aquino oppose moves to extend the President鈥檚 six-year term.
Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor of the LP said removing the constitutional provision prohibiting the reelection of a President would be contrary to what the President鈥檚 parents, Ninoy聺 Aquino and the late President Cory Aquino, would have wanted.
鈥淚 believe that Ninoy Aquino would not have wanted (reelection) to prevent a President from using the first term to campaign for a second term,鈥� Defensor said.
Speaking in Cebu City, Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares called the President 鈥渢he exact opposite鈥� of his father.
鈥淲hile his father was antidictatorship, he is exercising his dictatorial tendency on other branches of government,鈥� Colmenares said.
Judicial overreach
The congressman also hit Aquino鈥檚 openness to amending the Constitution to stop the Supreme Court鈥檚 鈥渏udicial overreach鈥� in the light of the court鈥檚 ruling against the Disbursement Acceleration Program.
鈥淭here is no judicial overreach. There is only presidential overreach,鈥澛� Colmenares said.鈥�With reports from Nestor P. Burgos Jr. and Carmel Loise Matus, Inquirer Visayas