Robredo camp calls renewed charter change push a 'waste of time, money'
MANILA, Philippines — The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo slammed new moves to amend the Constitution, calling it a “waste of people’s time and money.”
“It's amazing that even as we continue to struggle with Covid-19, lost jobs, and a shrinking economy, we have ‘leaders’ who still find ways to waste our people's time and money,” Robredo’s spokesperson, Barry Gutierrez said Thursday.
Gutierrez quipped that perhaps the government should first ensure that it can provide vaccines for all Filipinos before wasting time on charter change.
Speaker Lord Allan Velasco (Marinduque) is leading the charge for charter change discussions in the House, with him giving a directive for the chamber’s constitutional amendments panel to tackle “restrictive” economic provisions in the Constitution.
House constitutional amendments committee chair Rep. Alfredo Garbin (AKO BICOL party-list) said they would solely focus on the Constitution’s economic provisions, which the leftist Makabayan bloc doubts as they pointed out that it is “open season” for any amendments to the charter, including term extensions and the lifting of term limits.
At the Senate, pro-administration Senators Bato dela Rosa and Francis Tolentino filed a resolution calling on Congress to convene into a constituent assembly to introduce amendments to the charter on “democratic representation.”
Some senators, however, are not keen on rebooting charter change discussions, with Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon saying that it has “zero chance of success” as the administration is already in its home stretch.
Malacañang, meanwhile, denied that President Rodrigo Duterte is seeking to extend his stay in the Palace beyond 2022, when he is supposed to step down.
But Senate President Tito Sotto said Duterte wants to use charter change to crack down on communist rebels by abolishing or amending the party-list system.
Duterte and his allies have routinely claimed, albeit without proof, that leftist party-lists and groups are legal fronts of communist rebels. The dangerous charge has been repeatedly denied by those accused. — Xave Gregorio
The consultative committee, tasked with drafting a new constitution, eyes the removal of the impeachment power of Congress over justices of the Constitutional Court, one of the proposed three Supreme Courts under the draft charter.
READ: Concom eyes 3 supreme courts
Concom proposes that the impeachment of justices in Constitutional Court be decided instead by the 15-member Supreme Court.
The proposed Constitutional Court will have a presiding justice appointed by the Supreme Court and six associate justices with two appointees each from three branches of government.
LIST: Controversial features of proposed federal charter by House sub-committee
— with Edu Punay
The faction of PDP-Laban chaired by former President Rodrigo Duterte has agreed in a meeting earlier today to support Charter change, says Melvin Matibag, the party's secretary-general
— Philstar.com/Xave Gregorio
The House of Representatives votes 301-7 to pass on final reading House Bill 7352 or the proposed Constitutional Convention Act to amend the 1987 Constitution. — Cristina Chi
The House of Representatives approves on second reading House Bill 7352 or the act implementing Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, calling for a constitutional convention to propose amendments to, or revision of, the 1987 Philippine Constitution. — The STAR
With a vote of 301-6 and one abstain, the House of Representatives approves on third and final reading Resolution of Both Houses 6 calling for a constitutional convention. — Cristina Chi
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