COVID-19 bills first before Cha-cha – Speaker

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives may start tackling proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution early next year, including the lifting of term limits – but only after Congress passes the 2021 national budget and all needed measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said yesterday.

“If COVID can be solved next month, and we’re up on our feet next January, February, then we can talk about Cha-cha,” he said.

The Speaker said apart from proposed amendments to the economic provisions of the Charter, Congress would also take up proposal for longer term limits for politicians.

Cayetano, whose wife and two siblings currently hold national and local elective positions, has been batting for a five-year term for three consecutive terms, or four-year terms without restriction for reelection.

“The problem with the arguments here in the Philippines is there’s too much hypocrisy, and I keep saying that no one is innocent. That’s why we have to change the system,” he argued.

He explained that term limits in the 1987 Constitution were not crafted to factor in “unintended consequences” and were only meant to prevent a repeat of the decades-long reign of late former strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

Cayetano lamented that the limits instead gave birth to more dynasties as politicians seek to cement their hold on their bailiwick.

He then went on to compare political dynasties with oligarchs, or ruling families by virtue of their riches or influence.

“If you look at history, there’s always been some small dynasty somewhere. But what’s more important is people are free to choose,” he pointed out.

“There are good people in the oligarchy, but there is no good oligarchic system – it’s always anti-people. But there are good dynasties all over the world, as well as there are bad dynasties,” Cayetano added.