Simultaneous con-con, barangay elections eyed

MANILA, Philippines – The next speaker of the House of Representatives wants the election of delegates to the planned constitutional convention (con-con) to be held simultaneously with the voting for the new set of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials.

“Maybe, we should delay the barangay (and SK) elections so we can hold it together with the voting for con-con delegates,” Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez said yesterday.

He said holding the two electoral exercises at the same time would save the government money. The barangay and SK elections are scheduled in October. Alvarez did not say when he would like the combined polls held.

The postponement of the October barangay and SK elections and the convening of a con-con that would propose amendments to the Constitution to shift the nation to the federal system will require the enactment of two separate laws.

Alvarez and detained former president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo have filed bills calling for the convening of a con-con that would propose amendments to the Constitution, particularly on the planned change in the form of government, from presidential to the federal system.

Their version of con-con would be composed of elected and appointed members.

Another con-con bill has been introduced by Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr., who proposed that members elected from the country’s 238 legislative districts comprise the con-con.

On the other hand, Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez wants Congress to convert itself into a constituent assembly (con-ass) to propose Charter changes that would pave the way for the federalism shift.

Alvarez said the con-con should be composed of “at most 100 members, 20 percent of whom should be appointed by the President.”

“Those who will make up the convention should have expertise in constitutional law. We cannot choose people who will have no inputs in the convention,” he said.

The lawmaker said President Duterte prefers a convention instead of a con-ass “because he does not want to be suspected of influencing lawmakers if they would be the ones who will propose the amendments.”

In proposing that Congress itself do the Charter writing job, Benitez said a con-ass is the fastest and least expensive mode of amending the Constitution to achieve the shift to the federal system.

“It will not entail the election of delegates to a convention and the maintenance of a separate body that would propose the amendments,” he said.

He is proposing a federal-presidential system, with the retention of the Senate and the House of Representatives but with senators elected no longer at large or nationwide but by federal states.

He is suggesting the creation of 12 states: six in Luzon, including Metro Manila, three in the Visayas and three in Mindanao, including a Bangsamoro federal state. House members would continue to be elected from legislative districts.

The President would still be limited to a single six-year term. In the case of the vice president, Benitez is proposing that the vote for president is a vote for a vice president of his choice.

In Rodriguez’s case, he is suggesting that Charter change should tweak not only the structure of government but the Constitution’s economic provisions as well. He said all foreign ownership restrictions should be lifted.

He wants a federal-parliamentary system with a unicameral parliament, whose members would have a term of four years without limit to their reelection. Local officials would also have no term limit.

No stopping polls

On the part of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), however, there seems to be no stopping the October barangay and SK polls.

Commissioner Rowena Guanzon yesterday reported that members of the poll body opted not to discuss the proposal to postpone the October elections.

Except for Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista, all the other commissioner do not favor a postponement of the barangay and SK elections.

“Well, you know, he (Bautista) mentioned it (during the en banc session) but nobody said anything. Nobody commented on it. Nobody said a thing after he mentioned it. We did not discuss it,” Guanzon said.

Bautista earlier said the government could save P5 billion to P6 billion if the barangay and SK elections would be held at the same time as the proposed election of con-con members in January.

The poll chief is pushing for the deferment of barangay and SK elections to avoid “election fatigue.”

Guanzon said funds should not be an issue for the Comelec since Congress has already approved a budget for the exercise.

“Congress gave us enough money for conducting elections. It’s not about savings,” she stressed.

She added that there is no basis for Bautista’s claim of election fatigue because the people are excited to participate in elections.

“I think they’ll be excited to vote again in the barangay, where they know all the candidates, right? Why not push through with it? Why not take advantage of the momentum of the last elections,” she pointed out.

Guanzon urged Bautista to focus efforts on preparing for the October elections instead of pushing for postponement.

Comelec Commissioner Luie Guia also said that the commission has already approved a calendar of activities for the coming elections. The poll body, however, has yet to release a copy of the calendar.

Guia said the commission must start preparing for the coming elections since there is no indication Congress will pass a law for the postponement.

“We are cognizant of that possibility (postponement). But we don’t want any distractions from our preparations for the elections,” he said. 

Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, for his part, said Congress should weigh carefully its options for amending the Constitution.

Angara said both the con-con and the con-ass routes have their advantages and disadvantages.

“What’s nice in con-con is that you have freedom of debate and you have representatives who have their work cut out for them – they do not detract from the work of Congress,” Angara said.

“Because in con-ass, it can sometimes detract from your legislative duties because you’re concentrating on the amendments to the Constitution,” he said.

But he stressed an advantage of con-ass is that it will finish its work quickly as its members –members of Congress – have fixed terms “so you must achieve your goals within a fixed amount of time.”

He said the con-con is not bound by time unless the law creating it puts a time limit for them.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) has expressed support for the proposed shift to federal form of government, saying it will resolve armed conflict in Mindanao.

“A federal state is nearer to the people because it is more responsive and has the potential to use local resources for efficiently,” FFW president Sonny Matula said in a statement. Matula said he is speaking on behalf of the 200,000 members of FFW.  – With Paolo Romero, Mayen Jaymalin