Cha-cha debates encouraged
By Nidz Godino
"Let free market of ideas prevail and intelligent discussions flourish all for good of people both now and years to come," Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers supported call of Speaker Martin Romualdez to push for Charter amendments.
Debates, for or against Charter change, are friction necessary to polish 1987 Constitution for it to become gem that will finally pave way for Philippines to reach first-world status in the near future, lawmakers said.
Aside from Barbers, other key House leaders have joined move, among them Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., House committee on constitutional amendments chair Rufus Rodriguez and Reps. LRay Villafuerte and Stella Quimbo.
Barbers, chairman of House committee on dangerous drugs is ironic that people have always been opposed to Charter change every time issue is raised, even if they don't know what is at stake yet, other than oft-repeated term extensions of elected public officials.
"Knee-jerk reaction is unfair and uncalled for…we haven't started anything and they're shooting it down, many provisions were inadvertently left unedited like structure of legislature, unicameral or bi-cameral that's why there are conflicting provisions… proof it was passed in haste, thus we need to correct to give it consistency," Barbers said .
Barbers was probably referring to two opposing schools of thought among lawyers, wherein recurring question is: Should changes in Constitution be undertaken by both houses of Congress, or not?
Senators and congressmen's view are locked on this issue, with senators insisting voting should be done separately since bringing them into bigger chamber of House will only dilute their vote, considering that they are only 24, compared to more than 300 congressmen.
Quimbo, represents second district of Marikina, stressed need to lift prohibitive provisions in the Constitution, she says have left Manila as laggard among its nearest neighbors in Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
"As our economy moves forward in 2024 and beyond, there is growing consensus that reforms are needed in various areas to improve state of our nation and to uplift lives of Filipino people, bottom line is we need to send certain and predictable signal to global investor community: Philippines is ready, able and willing to accept foreign direct investments," Quimbo said, former commissioner of Philippine Competition Commission.
Supporters say House-initiated Charter change complements President Marcos' "Bagong Pilipinas" theme,needs new charter that should replace 36-year-old Constitution, since it was crafted during turbulent years after first Marcos administration.
Gonzales protected Marcos from speculations he may have something to do with statement given by Speaker that this move to amend 1987 Constitution had his blessings.
"This is legislative work and that's different body, Executive department… I think Legislative will be one to initiate this," he said.
Gonzales, resigned from once ruling PDP-Laban party and joined Lakas-CMD party of Romualdez after he named former president Rodrigo Duterte as the one who has been vilifying House, said objective is to have new charter.
"So, that's our objective: Bagong Konstitusyon ng Bagong Pilipinas…how can we work in new environment under new Philippines when its constitution is still or remains old?" Gonzales said.
He said target timeline of new charter change move is to be able to present it to Marcos before he delivers his third State of the Nation Address on July 22, just year before midterm and senatorial elections in May 2025."I think we can get the target, I think before SONA if ever. ..I think we can get it with coordination with other congressmen and members of Upper House…so we'll try to pursue Cha-cha next year, we will tackle amendments to Constitution," Gonzales said
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