MANILA, Philippines — Kinuwestiyon ng ilang senador ang muling pagsusulong sa panukalang amiyendahan ang saligang batas sa gitna ng nararanasang coronavirus pandemic.

Ayon kay Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, pag-aaksaya lang ng oras ang pagtalakay sa panukala na hindi rin naman uusad sa mataas na kapulungan ng Kongreso.

“It will be a total waste of time. It won’t fly. Our history tells us that Cha-cha has a zero chance of success in any administration that is already in the home stretch,” ang pahayag ni Drilon.

Iginiit din ng mambabatas na maituturing pang kasalanan ang pagtalakay sa usapin gayong wala pang nakikitang lunas sa kinakaharap na global health crisis at iba pang problema sa bansa.

“It is a sin to be even talking about changing the Constitution when there is still no end in sight to the pandemic, when the government is struggling to secure funding for COVID-19 vaccines, and when the country is still reeling from the continuing impact of the pandemic and the recent typhoons,” ang wika ni Drilon.

“Instead of talking about Cha-cha, let’s talk about how we can bring down inflation and let’s talk about how we can bring back lost jobs and livelihood opportunities,” dagdag pa niya.

Ginawa ni Drilon ang pahayag matapos kumpirmahin ni Senate President Vicente Sotto III noong Miyerkules na may mga nakahain nang panukala para sa pag-convene ng 18^th Congress bilang Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) para sa pag-amiyenda sa konstitusyon.

Noong Disyembre 2020, naghain ng Resolution of both Houses sina Senator Francis Tolentino at Ronald dela Rosa para isulong ang Con-Ass at magsagawa ng limitadong pagbabago sa 1987 Constitution.

Hindi nakasaad sa resolusyon ang mga probisyon sa saligang batas na isinusulong na baguhin pero limitado lamang ang gagawing pag-amiyenda sa “democratic representation” at “economic provisions” ng Konstitusyon.

Giit nina Tolentino at Dela Rosa, kailangan na ng reporma ang 33-anyos na Saligang Batas ng bansa upang makatugon sa pangangailangan ng publiko lalo na sa gitna ng pandemya.

Ngunit para kay Senator Panfilo Lacson, dapat munang pag-usapan nang mabuti ang panukala.

Ayon naman kay Sotto, halos imposible kung mismong Charter change ang pag-uusapan at mas may pag-asa pa kung pag-amyenda lang sa mga probisyon ang gagawin.

Nilinaw rin ng senador na batay kanilang pulong noong Nobyembre, ang pag-aalis lamang sa party-list provision ng Saligang Batas ang nais ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte upang maresolba ang isyu sa Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.

Kung si Sotto naman ang tatanungin, mas mainam kung amiyendahan na lamang ang umiiral na Party-List Law sa bansa at hindi na mag-convene ang dalawang kapulungan ng Kongreso bilang Con-Ass.

Posibleng magpatawag ng caucus ang Senado upang pag-usapan ang isyu. — RRD (mula sa ulat ni Correspondent Harlene Delgado)

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday reiterated that President Rodrigo Duterte is not interested in extending his term beyond June 2022 amid a renewed push for charter change in Congress.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the president has previously made it clear that he has no intention of clinging to power in response to rumors that the charter change move was to keep Duterte in office beyond his six-year term.

Roque said Duterte is focused on the government’s response against novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the roll out of the vaccine.

“Wala pong ibang top priority ang pangulo kundi matapos po itong pandemyang ito sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng bakuna sa ating mga kababayan,” he said.

Two administration allies – Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Francis Tolentino – in December filed a resolution asking both chambers of Congress to convene as a Constituent Assembly to discuss proposals to amend some provisions of the constitution.

The House of Representatives has scheduled a hearing on January 13 to tackle the proposed charter change while the Senate is planning to hold a caucus to discuss the issue.

Roque said discussions on whether to amend the Constitution is the legislators’ sole and exclusive prerogative. — RRD (with details from Correspondent Rosalie Coz)

MANILA, Philippines – Cagayan de Oro Second District Representative Rufus Rodriguez on Thursday said he will propose the suspension of deliberations on the controversial charter change (Cha-Cha) proposals amid the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Rodriguez, who chairs the House committee on constitutional amendments, said he is inclined to recommend to House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to “shelve Cha-Cha indefinitely” to focus on discussing measures to address the public health crisis and help the Filipino people prepare for the ‘new normal’.

The lawmaker made the proposal following claims that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and other advocates initiated moves to gather up to two million signatures in support of Cha-Cha.

“This is not the time for the DILG and its allies to relaunch their signature drive and renew their push for Cha-cha. They should postpone it until this health crisis is over,” Rodriguez said in a statement.

“So my message to Cha-cha advocates and their DILG patrons is: stop it, it won’t fly while there is a pandemic,” he added.

Rodriguez said pushing for Cha-Cha can wait as Congress will first have to attend to measures that will “save lives and the livelihood of our people.”

The DILG earlier denied it has launched a signature campaign for Cha-Cha, branding these reports as fake news. – RRD (with details from Correspondent Vincent Arboleda)