Marcos won’t oppose Concon to fix Charter loopholes

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos will not oppose moves to amend the 1987 Constitution if such changes will “improve and clarify” certain provisions, Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro made the statement in response to Deputy Speaker and Antipolo City Rep. Ronaldo Puno’s call for a constitutional convention to revise the Charter, which he said contains ambiguous and procedurally deficient provisions.

“If this is to improve and clarify so that no provisions in the Constitution will be questioned, the President will not object to it,” Castro said during a press briefing.

In a privileged speech on Monday, Puno cited as an example Article XI, Section 3(4) on the accountability of public officials, which states: “In case the verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by at least one-third of all the Members of the House, the same shall constitute the Articles of Impeachment, and trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed.”

“Does the legislature now view the recent interpretation of ‘forthwith’ as applicable to all similar clauses in the Charter? Can the clear urgency mandated by constitutional language now be indefinitely stalled under the guise of interpretive discretion?” Puno said.

He argued that this alone shows how a single ambiguous word “can become the justification for legislative inaction, procedural manipulation or worse, the loss of accountability itself.”

Castro echoed concerns over ambiguous interpretations, saying, “There are just times when, even though some definitions or terms are clear, they are sometimes made ambiguous to favor someone.”

The term “forthwith” has been subject to varying interpretations from lawmakers and legal experts, with many insisting that an impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte should have proceeded immediately.

On July 25, the Supreme Court unanimously struck down the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte, citing the one-year bar under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the Constitution and violations of her right to due process.

On Aug. 6, the Senate voted to archive the impeachment case, pending the high court’s resolution of appeals on its landmark but controversial ruling.

Last year, Marcos expressed support for Charter change, but only for amendments on “economic matters alone” to help boost the country’s development.

Building on his call for amendments, Puno said that ambiguous terms and even “grammatical errors” in the 38-year-old Constitution have fueled political polarization, underscoring the need for a constitutional convention as the sole mode for revising the presidential system.

Puno clarified that his proposal “is not a call to discard the Constitution. It is a call to complete and correct it,” stressing that a con-con is “the most prudent, transparent and participatory mechanism” for instituting reforms and correcting “enduring ambiguities.”

Kiko heads Charter committee

Sen. Kiko Pangilinan has accepted the chairmanship of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, as confirmed during the plenary session on Monday.

Already serving as chair of the committee on agriculture, food and agrarian reform, Pangilinan expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him to lead the critical committee tasked with overseeing potential revisions to the 1987 Constitution.

The senator said the Constitution “belongs to the people” and that any amendment should be done for the people’s welfare.

With this mindset, Pangilinan plans to conduct nationwide consultations involving constitutional experts, civil society groups, business leaders and ordinary citizens.

His aim is to gauge public sentiment regarding both political and economic reforms – topics that have historically sparked debate due to concerns over possible term extensions and foreign access to areas of the economy.

Drawing on over two decades of legal and legislative experience, including his previous tenure as committee chair, Pangilinan committed to leading the Senate’s efforts in a transparent and consultative manner. — Delon Porcalla, Marc Jayson Cayabyab