Charter Reform Move is Deceptive, Dishonest, Misguided

Posted by AsiaViews | Jan 7, 2018 | 0 |

Manila Times

6 Jan 2018

Proponents of a cancellation of the 2019 mid-term elections and the extension of the term of President Duterte should realize, first, that they are changing the known objective of constitutional reform, and second that they are redirecting it into an entirely new and uncertain territory.

When Charter change through Congress acting as a constituent assembly was first proposed and discussed publicly, it was explicitly advanced as an economical way for amending the Constitution. Then it was also argued that the assembly would be an expedient way for effecting a major shift in our constitutional system – from a unitary system of government, which we now have, to a federal system of government.

Some supported the idea of a constituent assembly on the understanding that Charter reform would concern itself wholly with the structural shift to federalism, and that the resultant deliberations during the reform process will fully discuss the merits or demerits of federalism as a new constitutional design for the Philippines in the 21st century.

For Speaker Alvarez and Senate president Pimentel to now turn around and declare that the constituent assembly will tackle additionally the prospect of canceling the mid-term elections in 2019, and of extending the term of President Duterte is, in our view, rank deception and a shock to the nation.

In truth, the issue of convening Congress as a constituent assembly has not yet been debated and decided on by the Congress in either House. And no definite agenda or reform process has been adopted yet.

All we really have at this point are reform ideas and procedural suggestions advanced by some interested parties.

There have been a lot of public statements and press releases in the media. There is plainly no consensus on anything. No one has gotten wiser.

If the idea of Speaker Alvarez and Senate President Pimentel is to inveigle President Duterte into supporting the Charter reform initiative, they are probably mistaken. The President has said several times he is not interested in extending his term of office, and that he fully supports the holding of the mid-term elections in 2019, as prescribed by the Constitution. And this President, as we know, is not for turning.

To thwart the Constitution through Charter reform, and under false pretenses, is misguided, and is a disservice to the nation. It will take the country into uncharted waters. It will swerve us away from the constitutional course, which is already working and paying off in substantial national dividends.

Already, there are suggestions by one lawyer that the term of Vice President Leni Robredo and other officials should also be extended, if Duterte’s term is extended.

Let’s get serious. Charter reform is not kindergarten politics.

Proponents of this “no-el” and term extension should desist. They should, instead, attend to their public responsibilities.

This reform enterprise will only result in a setback for both constitutional reform and the push for federalism.

(source: http://www.manilatimes.net/charter-reform-move-deceptive-dishonest-misguided/372557/)

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EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

Charter Reform Move is Deceptive, Dishonest, Misguided