BY GERARD NAVAL

THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines yesterday reiterated its rejection of a Palace-inspired proposal to revive Charter Change (Cha-Cha), saying it is not the best way to resolve the decades-long secessionist problem in Mindanao.

"No to Cha-Cha. It (CBCP) has always been against Cha-Cha, not per se, but because of the prevailing circumstances," said CBCP spokesman Msgr. Pedro Quitorio.

He said that in 2006 during the last push for Cha-Cha, the CBCP rejected the idea as it could be used by the administration to avoid an election in May 2007.

Quitorio added that the Church, also at that time, did not believe in the process used by Cha-Cha advocates, which was the People’s Initiative (PI).

The government launched the PI to amend the Constitution but this was shot down by the Supreme Court in October 2006, ruling that a people’s initiative needs an enabling law.

Last Wednesday, presidential adviser on the peace process Jesus Dureza announced that Malacañang is already preparing a draft amendment in a bid to finally settle the peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

In the proposal, Dureza said, a federal state for the Muslims will be set up when the Constitution is amended.

But according to Quitorio, the answer to ending the war in Mindanao is not through federalism or military action but rather in putting an end to poverty.

"Ang problem ng rebellion hindi military. Kapag ang solution ng rebellion ay military, mukhang we are barking up the wrong tree. Kasi ang problem, that is ideological, hindi makukuha sa militarization but rather doon yun sa root ng rebellion – which is poverty," he said.

Administration Sen. Joker Arroyo said Thursday Malacañang was deceiving the public when it proposed that the Constitution be amended to resolve the secessionist problem.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Edno Joson said the people can expect President Arroyo to do anything to stay in power even at the expense of national unity.

Rep. Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna party list said the prospect of a no-election in 2010 is not far-fetched because of the wide belief that the President wants to cling to power.

Rep. Joel Villanueva of Cibac party-list group said that by reviving the Cha-Cha campaign, Malacañang is sowing confusion among the people and perhaps has succeeded in frustrating some of them.