Lakas-Kampi no longer for Cha-cha says Puno

The administration party is no longer for cha-cha, or the majority of the members of the administration will no longer support the moves to change the charter. This new development was shared by Department of Interior and Local Government secretary Ronaldo Puno.

Secretary Puno shared the news today, and said that his party mates in the Lakas-Kampi especially the local government officials have signaled their intent to junk the charter change initiatives in the House of Representatives led by Speaker Prospero Nograles. A debate that took place between the congressmen and the governors during a party caucus helped shaped members of the administration party. The debate has also resulted to an agreement that members of the administration party will temporarily end the moves to amend the constitution, and now use their efforts and resources to prepare the party for next year’s election. For his part, Secretary Puno is not in favor of the moves to push for the amendment of constitution now since he believe that this can hurt the party’s preparation for the next year’s polls. In the same interview with DZMM, Secretary Puno said that by the time that the party holds its party convention by August or September, he will once again urge the other members of the administration party to junk the charter change.

One indication, according to Secretary Puno that bolsters the new stand of the party is the departure of one charter advocate. Camarines Sur representative Luis Villafuerte has abandoned the party and is now with the Nationalist People’s Coalition. The voice of Puno regarding the need to end the push for the charter change at this time is not the only voice coming out of the administration. Cebu Representative Pablo Garcia earlier called for the need to stop the House Resolution 1109 which convenes in the Congress as a Constituent Assembly. Representative Garcia of Cebu is the co-sponsor of the bill. Representative Garcia called an end for the push for charter change right after President Arroyo delivered her state of the nation address. He said that there is a need to end the moves since the public disapproval is overwhelming.

This is not the first time that Puno raised his opposition to the move to amend the constitution. During the weekly ‘Kapihan sa Sulo’ forum last week, he said that there is no more time for any cha cha since everyone is now gearing up for the elections.