AMID calls for constitutional assembly by the House of Representatives, the head of the Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese bats for a constitutional convention to be composed of laymen known for their probity and their intellectual acumen and free of vested interests.

Archbishop Socrates Villegas, in his pastoral moral guide dated Jan. 15, wrote, “They must be free of vested interests that may render suspect their handiwork as a document that embodies their own interests rather than those of the people.”

He asked that the convention be composed of citizens “with sufficient civic spiritedness, familiarity with the law and with the constitution, committed to human rights, and to the defense of civil and political rights, who have the fear of God in their hearts, that should craft the revised Constitution.”

Villegas said the clergy is “not unaware that reconfiguring the government may be used by the unprincipled as a pretext for the extension of their terms of office. There are many who even declare that term extensions are inevitable and necessary.” He added, “this they find opportunist and downright morally objectionable.”

He suspects that the House of Representatives is merely interested in “circumventing the limits to terms in office established by the present constitution.”

He advised his flock to also raise critical questions during barangay or citizen’s assemblies on the proposed federal system of government and other planned amendments.

The crucial questions, he said, will be: What powers are reserved to the government in contrast to the powers delegated to the states or to the regions to allow for the more efficient, effective, prompt and promising response to people’s needs?  What constellation of powers best empowers the people?”

He asked the faithful to pray for the leaders in government. — (Eva Visperas)

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