Duterte to ask Congress to bar him from seeking elective post under new charter

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte will ask Congress to insert a provision in the draft federal constitution that will bar him from seeking another elective post under the new charter, his spokesman said on Monday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said that Duterte was open to serve in a transitory leadership capacity until 2022 but stressed that the chief executive would not countenance staying beyond it.

"He's okay if it's within 2022 with a special request for Congress to put a provision that bars the incumbent president from running or seeking another position under the new constitution," Roque said in Filipino during a press conference at the presidential palace.

Roque said that the decision to step down in 2022 or even before it was personal on the part of the president.

The presidential spokesperson also assured the public that there would be elections 2019.

"The president has said that he will not have any hand in any elective position not being subject to election in 2019. That's his position. He will implement that current constitution in so far as it calls for an election in 2019," he said.

Duterte's consultative committee is set to submit to him on Monday the draft of the federal government he has been pushing.

Last week, a member of the panel said that Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo could seek a fresh four-year term under the new charter, with the possibility of a reelection.

This meant that Duterte and Robredo could stay for a total of 14 years if they would be able to finish their current six-year terms.

Julio Teehankee, however, issued a clarification and said that he "misspoke" during an interview on "The Chiefs" on One News when he issued that statement that sparked concerns that the moves to amend the 1987 Consitution were meant to extend the president's stay in office.

Roque, in a message to Philstar.com, said on Friday that the president was not interested in staying beyond 2022.

Political analyst and economist Solita Monsod warned the public against the contents of the draft constitution.

In an opinion piece written for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Monsod said the proposed constitution would give the president vast powers as head of the Federal Transition Committee.

"Bottom line: As soon as the new constitution is ratified, President Duterte, as chair of the FTC, has unlimited powers—to hire, fire, organize, reorganize, determine what will be the states that constitute the federal system, and how these states will themselves transition," Monsod wrote on Saturday, concluding that with these powers Duterte would have already set the stage for reelection for the next eight years.

Monsod's assessment was based on a June 27, 2018, copy of the draft but the consultative panel was yet to release its copy to be transmitted to the Office of the President.