TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH SEN. GORDON

On the possibility of Cha-cha

Q: Magkakaroon po ba ng Cha-cha?

RJG: At the moment, I don't think so. People cannot decide on a Cha-cha just like that. If we're going to have Cha-cha, people must be part of the process. The last constitutional change exercises have always taken for granted the people's capacity to absorb the changes. To be able to make people part of the process of change, it should be done after the elections, one. Two, during the elections, it should be raised as an issue. The candidates, possible candidates, would they be asked if they were for Cha-cha or not or what issues they would raise on the Cha-cha, whether they are for Con-ass or for Con-com. If you look at the previous Cha-chas, Con-com was done by Cory, by people that she appointed pero who are not even known by the people. And we just simply voted. in 1971 we were elected but Marcos finished it and then we were just asked to raise our hands. There was no discussion. So the people don't own it, we don't own it. People have to own it, we have to own the Constitution. Constitution does not belong to the powers that be, it belongs to the people.

I've been consistent with that.