‘TRUST ISSUES’: Lawmakers assure no gov’t shift, term extensions in Cha-cha gabs

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Members of the House of Representatives on Monday assured the public that the series of consultations they are holding across the country on proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution will only focus on economic provisions, amid speculations of changes in the form of government and office term extensions.

The most recent round of public consultation on the proposed Charter change (Cha-cha) was held in Iloilo City on Monday at the Iloilo Convention Center in Mandurriao.

Iloilo 3rd district Rep Lorenz Defensor, senior vice chairperson of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, said their priority is the Constitution’s economic provisions, specifically Articles XII (National Economy and Patrimony), XIV (Education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture and Sports), and XVI (General Provisions).

Defensor stressed that the discussions will only focus on these provisions.

Topics on term extensions as well as shifting to another system of government, which were also being proposed by members of the lower house, was off the table for now, he said.

But the two-term lawmaker said that the two controversial topics might be opened should Congress decide to pursue the Constitutional convention (Con-con) mode in amending the charter.

Con-con refers to the election of delegates who will rewrite the more than 30-year-old Constitution.

“It would be difficult to open to the people on term extensions [or] changing the system of government. It may be difficult to sell these [proposals] to the people right now.” Defensor told the media.

“[The Con-con] would be free to revise the entire constitution. We go here to inform on the economic provision [amendments]. We do hope that the people would be open,” he added.

Defensor said Congress may also be open to a People’s Initiative type of proposing amendments, which would involve getting direct proposals from the public, although he warned that it would be more costly.

Another mode of tinkering with the Constitution is for the House and Senate to convene as a Constituent assembly (Con-ass).

Leyte 4th district Rep. Richard Gomez said in a press conference Monday that Con-con would be the cheapest way of amending the charter.

Gomez proposed to hold the Con-con election alongside the October 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

His hope was to finish the consultation and legislation process before April when ballots for the BSKE would be printed by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

“I proposed a [Con-con] simply because it would be cheaper to do it this year, (sic) we could coincide it with the [BSKE]. What we would do is that in the [BSKE] ballot, we will include one line for the constitutional delegates,” said the neophyte lawmaker.

The committee in June 2021 had already passed Resolution of Both Houses No. 2, which would provide five amendments to Articles XII, XIV, and XVI, which would, collectively, loosen restrictions on foreign ownership and participation in the country’s economy.