Charter Members

摘要

Altering the creaking constitution of the Philippines is known in political circles here as charter change or "cha-cha". The idea is beguiling, but nobody has yet mastered the steps. Advocates of change are now giving it another try, despite the likelihood that they will bump into their opponents and fall flat on their faces.rnThe constitution was adopted after the fall of the corrupt dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. It is meant to prevent any other president from subverting democracy by stealth, as he did. The problem is that any attempt to change the constitution rouses suspicion that it is the first step towards a slide back to dictatorship.rnThe timing of the latest attempts has increased this suspicion. Allies of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the House of Representatives have been calling for cha-cha before elections due in 2010, when she finishes the single six-year term allowed her by the constitution. Prominent among these congressmen is Juan Miguel Arroyo, the president's eldest son.