MANILA, Philippines — The consultative committee (Concom) that was formed to propose amendments to the Constitution will submit today its draft Charter for a federal government to President Duterte.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the submission is a significant step toward realizing the President’s promised shift to federalism.
“We’re hoping that Congress will give it much weight as it prepares to submit proposed revisions to the Constitution to the people as a constituent assembly,” Roque said in a text message over the weekend.
The handover ceremony will be held at 3:45 p.m. at Malacañang, a schedule released by the Presidential Communications Operations Office yesterday showed. The draft charter will be turned over to the President almost six months after the Concom that is reviewing the 1987 Constitution was created.
Duterte is expected to endorse the draft charter to Congress in his third State of the Nation Address on July 23.
Federalism is one of the campaign promises of Duterte, who won by a landslide during the 2016 polls. Duterte said federalism would promote development in far-flung areas and address underdevelopment, one of the problems linked to the rise of insurgency and extremism.
The draft charter stirred controversy recently when Julio Teehankee, chairman of the Concom’s sub-committee on political reforms, said Duterte could seek reelection under the proposed federal system. Teehankee later admitted that he “misspoke” when he said the President could seek reelection and clarified that the terms of the President and the Vice President could not be extended.
Duterte has said he is not interested in prolonging his presidency and has even expressed willingness to step down as early as next year.
Despite the President’s assurance, some critics are worried that Charter change could give too much power to Duterte during the transition period.
Bayan Muna party-list chairman and former congressman Neri Colmenares said last week that the effort to amend the constitution is not about federalism but a “dictatorship.”
Amid fears on term extension by any incumbent elected official including President Duterte once the proposed federal constitution takes effect, the Concom maintained that there is no provision banning the chief executive from running again.
The Constitution or any other law cannot have a provision that bars a particular individual from enjoying the rights and privileges that the constitution or law confers on all citizens, the Concom said in a statement.
Hence, a provision in the federal constitution prohibiting anyone to run again is “undemocratic (and) discriminatory because it singles out a person,” the commission said.
The provision also “constitutes class legislation” and “violates the people’s sovereign right to elect their leaders and representatives,” it added.
The body was also quick to note that the 1987 Constitution and even the 1935 Constitution had no provision preventing past presidents Corazon Aquino and Manuel Quezon, those whose presidencies introduced new charters, to run again.
Vice President Leni Robredo called on yesterday proponents of Charter change to address more pressing issues first such as the recent string of killings in different parts of the country and the continued rise in prices of goods and services.
“The most urgent issue for the Filipinos right now is how this present administration solves these problems,” Robredo said in a statement.
“This is not the right time to amend the Constitution, especially the proposals to change the term of government officials and postpone the elections next year, because of the many issues bothering our people today,” she said.
The Vice President said amending the Charter should not be done in haste, as this would have a long-term effect on the country and on the life of every Filipino.
“Issues like Charter change should not be rushed and it should not be done to favor those in power,” Robredo stressed.
But Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Saturday said Charter change is still not a priority in Congress at this time.
He said senators running for re-election next year would have to file their certificates of candidacy this October and prepare for the midterm elections.
This means many of them would have different priorities, Sotto said.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte urged President Duterte’s consultative committee on Charter change to relax the Constitution’s “restrictive” economic provisions.
“The provisions putting a 40-percent cap on foreign ownership and in barring foreign participation in certain sectors such as the media have been deal breakers for prospective foreign investors. Our protectionist economic policy is an anachronism under the new global free economy or borderless world,” he said.
He said this is the reason why foreign direct investments (FDI) “have remained relatively anemic despite the Philippines’ newfound investment-grade status as Asia’s bright star.”
“True, there has been a 40 percent jump in FDI inflows to $7.9 billion to the Philippines in 2016. But this is small when compared to the $53.9 billion in FDI that went to Singapore the same year or the $11.3 billion that went to Malaysia,” he said.
He added that even erstwhile tail-ender Vietnam received more FDI totaling $12.6 billion.
Meanwhile, Villafuerte urged Congress to declare his province as the country’s wakeboarding capital.
He said the CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC) is the “best wakeboard park in the world” and made the province the No. 1 tourist destination in the country in 2010, with tourist arrivals increasing to 2.5 million that year from 58,000 in 2005. – With Helen Flores, Jess Diaz, Ghio Ong