Consultative Committee retains family provisions in Constitution

MANILA, Philippines — Some members of President Duterte’s Consultative Committee (ConCom) on Wednesday agreed to retain the provisions of the Constitution on the family and stressed the importance of the definition of marriage. 

Former senator and ConCom member Aquilino Pimentel Jr. told The STAR that the eight-member committee on family headed by Susan Ordinario retained the contents of the provisions in the present setup.  

“We talked about family, the present constitutional commission on the family and the suggestion of the chairperson Susan Ordinario,” Pimentel said. 

“What was ensured was the terminology of marriage – that it is a union between a man and a woman,” he added, noting they discussed the matter for seven hours.

The committee met from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Asked if the ConCom discussed the proposal of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to legalize divorce and the dissolution of marriage, Pimentel said they did not discuss it in details. 

He said they would adopt Alvarez’s proposal once it becomes final.  

He pointed out they lightly discussed the issue of same sex marriage and might delve deeper into the matter in the next session. 

 Duterte’s ConCom members met on Tuesday and voted for a presidential form in a federal set up, as proposed by Pimentel. 

Under the presidential form of federalism, Pimentel said the president and vice present would be elected nationally in accordance with the present set-up while the senators will be elected by the federal states. 

Support for ConCom

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) meanwhile, has expressed support for the ConCom. 

“We view the creation of the Consultative Committee as a positive step. We pray for the committee especially its chairman, retired chief justice Reynato Puno,” the NCCP said in a statement.

It said they were hoping the committee would work independently and prioritize the protection of the country’s sovereignty and patrimony.

It urged its members to discern and study the proposals being made in the Constitution because it would affect the country’s future. 

The statement was signed by six NCCP officials led by its chairperson retired Justice Raoul Victorino. – Evelyn Macairan