YOU can’t blame Malacanang if it now tries to steer clear of the People’s Initiative or even the Con-Ass (Constituent Assembly) route to Charter Change. President Arroyo is exhibiting a more practical sense today, perhaps more than in other recent Palace political actions, by refusing to be inveigled to do the biddings of some in her inner circle.

At this point, when all indications are that any new political question would be brought up to, and resolved by, an “activist” Supreme Court, Arroyo and the Palace cannot afford to have another defeat, even the mere chance of defeat, in that bulwark of our democracy.

Many political detractors of the Palace, in fact, would be ready to be less antagonistic were the Administration to leave things to the decision of the people, not to the whims of politicians, in charting the course of the nation, indeed, of the Constitution such as what a Constitutional Convention could substantially offer. In adversity, lessons are learned a-plenty and all for the better.

The fact is, many people, not just some lately-reawakened Palace officials, believe that with the economy now so rosy and brilliant despite all the political crisis, past and present, and despite our being in this system, it is hardly the time to change horses, that is, revising the system. Said another way to no one in particular, it’s not the system, stupid!

Those who do not learn from mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat it in the future. And those who misread the signs of the times – are losers twice over.