NOT now.

This was the terse reply of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., now a staunch critic of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, when asked to comment on a new initiative to amend the constitution.

He said he was always in favor of charter change but the timing is not good, not only because the present administration has but a few months left in office but the Filipinos are still facing one crisis after the other, including the current rice crisis.

“Charter change can wait,” said De Venecia, adding that the nation cannot afford any more division in this time of crisis quickly clarifying that his opposition to the Palace-backed charter change has nothing to do with his rift with the President

He said there are other more urgent matters that need to be addressed to steer the nation away from more troubles.

He said he prefers a charter change to be done after the 2010 election to remove the lingering suspicion that Arroyo, his estranged ally, only wants to prolong her term.

“A charter change after the election and after Arroyo bows out of office would remove a great deal of criticism, suspicion, anxiety and tension from among the people,” he said.

The former House Speaker also pointed out that if the fundamental law of the land is finally changed or amended after the 2010 election, it should be through a constitutional convention whose members are elected by the people so that it can be presented “in the clear light of day”.

He said a constitutional convention — and not a constituent assembly — is the best way to present the constitutional amendments and reforms.

A strong advocate for a shift from the presidential to parliamentary form of government and a federal system, he maintained that a charter change should take place after 2010 elections.

De Venecia criticized the proposal to change the constitution at this time when the country is facing too many problems, like the still unsettled MILF-military fighting in North Cotabato, the continuous increase in the price of food and oil, and large-scale graft and corruption in all levels of the government, among others.

De Venecia has been a proponent of charter change for the past 15 years. —LM

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