General Assembly for Cha-Cha: A Day of Deception?

Instead of a general assembly that people attended on their own volition, the gathering was marred by alleged deception and other machinations, allegedly done on orders by Malacanang.

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By Cheryll D. Fiel
davaotoday.com

DAVAO CITY � They were all gathered on Saturday to supposedly hear the pros and cons of the proposed constitutional amendment to shift to a parliamentary form of government. What they heard instead were the earnest words of their officials promising dramatic change in governance.

Worst, instead of a general assembly that people attended on their own volition, the gathering was marred by alleged deception and other machinations, allegedly done on orders by Malacanang.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government had earlier asked barangays (villages) across the country to hold general assemblies yesterday and on Oct. 21 to supposedly get the pulse of the public on constitutional amendments.

The assemblies are part of the �people�s initiative,� one of the ways the administration is using to amend the charter, which requires the signatures of at least 12 percent of the total registered voters nationwide and at least three percent of voters in a congressional district.

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