1987 Constitution imperfect, says CBCP official

MANILA, Philippines - Amidst attempts to revive Charter change (Cha-cha), an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday admitted that the 1987 Constitution is not perfect and there is room for improvement. “Our Constitution is always imperfect. There is always something there that can be improved and they could explore (these areas) but on the condition that their motives are good. If it is really for the improvement of the country, then it is okay,” CBCP-Public Affairs Committee (PAC) chairman Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez said.

Iñiguez was reacting to news reports that the House of Representatives is open to the idea of amending provisions of the Constitution using the “surgical” approach as proposed by Fr. Joaquin Bernas, who was part of the 1986 constitutional commission.

However, he cautioned legislators who are reviving Cha-cha to assess if constitutional amendments should be prioritized now. “Is this needed by the country now or can it be postponed another time?”

House Majority Leader Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales II said that Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and many solons were not in favor of using constituent assembly (con-ass) or constitutional convention (con-con).

Gonzales said under the Bernas mode, constitutional amendment proposals would be treated like ordinary bills and resolutions that go through the normal legislative process. “The House and the Senate will vote separately, and the vote required is three-fourths of all members of each chamber. On an ordinary bill, the needed vote is only majority of quorum,” he explained.

Once the two chambers have approved a particular amendment proposal, they would send it to the Commission on Election (Comelec) with a request for the holding of a plebiscite for its approval by the people.