Palace keeps hands off charter change debates

MANILA, Philippines -- Malacañan is keeping its hands off the deliberations on charter change following concerns raised that the effort to amend the constitution will be rushed inordinately by President Duterte’s allies in Congress.

 

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar noted that Congress is a co-equal branch of government and it would be up to lawmakers to settle the issues in their respective chambers.   

 

“If some congressmen have other views, they are entitled to their own opinion,” Andanar told state-run radio station dzRB yesterday.

 

“If they have issues at the House of Representatives, they (lawmakers) should be the ones to address that. If there are varying ideas about the voting at the House, it would be up to them to solve whatever problem they have,” he added.

 

Earlier, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman claimed that the House majority is planning to railroad the plan to amend the 1987 Constitution to set-up a federal form of government.

 

Federalism, which will devolve more powers to local governments, is one of the priorities of Duterte, who believes that the set up will put an end to the violence and underdevelopment plaguing Mindanao.

 

Constitutional amendments are needed to change the form of government from unitary to federal.

 

Duterte initially preferred to amend the 1987 Constitution through a constitutional convention (con-con), wherein elected delegates would recommend changes to the charter. The president, however, had a change of heart last week and now favors the convening of a constituent assembly (con-ass), wherein lawmakers would deliberate on charter amendments.

 

 

Officials said con-ass is now the preferred mode of the administration because con-con is more costly.  

 

“It (con-ass) was discussed as a possibility considering the prohibitive costs should they begin the process soon, seeing that SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) elections, and the proposed salary increases for the PNP (Philippine National Police) are all looming,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement last Thursday.

 

Some lawmakers have rejected con-ass, believing it disregards people's participation and may subvert the charter change efforts to the interests of political clans.

 

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman claimed that Duterte’s congressional allies are inordinately fast-tracking the process “with the hegemony of supermajorities assured.” The president's party PDP-Laban holds the leaderships of the House of Representatives and Senate.

 

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the attempt for a cheaper and faster mode to amend the constitution raises concerns that the shift to federalism is being done haphazardly.

 

Members of the Makabayan party-list bloc, which is part of the 'supermajority', have urged the House leadership to reconsider their preference for con-ass, claiming the mode would be unacceptable to the public because of notions that Congress is dominated by elites.