NOBODY from among the ranks of Bohol's high officialdom are confirming this—55% of the province's voting population were committed to gather signatures for charter change, as the barangay assemblies went on smoothly nationwide yesterday. From Gov. Erico Aumentado to the three Bohol lawmakers—Edgar Chatto, Roberto Cajes and Eladio Jala, nobody confirmed that they were under instruction to produce a 55% majority during the barangay assemblies to collect the signatures in a bid to change the Constitution.

Earlier, Gov. Aumentado, former UP president Jose Abueva and former Gov. David Tirol were guests during a forum on Constitutional amendments at the University of Bohol . Both Tirol and Abueva were members of the defunct Constitutional Consultative Commission. In an interview yesterday with Gov. Aumentado during DYTR”s Kuentas Klaras, he categorically denied that he received marching orders from above to ensure a yes vote. But in an interview with several barangay captains, it was gathered that the village heads did receive instructions from their respective Municipal Local Government Operations Officer (MLGOO) to hit the 55% target.

The nationwide barangay assemblies were held yesterday and the synchronized gatherings were supposedly an initial yes or no feeler. The question submitted to the people for consideration starting yesterday was: Do you approve the amendment of Articles VI and VII of the 1987 Constitution, changing the form of government from the present bicameral-presidential to a unicameral-parliamentary system of government, in order to achieve efficiency, simplicity and economy in government; and providing an Article XVIII as Transitory Provisions for the ordinary shift from one system to another?

NO ARM TWISTING

Contrary to widely held perception that there was arm twisting in convincing the people to vote for yes to the question, the governor said the people are given a hand to voice out freely what they think was the right responses to the question on charter change. He said it would be their judgment call, whether they want charter change or not. But he expressed confidence that the people will be enlightened to vote yes after they have been appraised of the merits of charter change.