Constitutional convention,

IF there is to be a revision/amendment/addition to our Constitution, it should take place not through the efforts of the current legislature but through elected representatives of the people in a constitutional convention. Any other way, particularly putting the task in the hands of our current legislators with their track record of representing dynasties, moneyed politics, oligarchs, railroading of bills and other such unworthy and distrustful elements and ways, would be a travesty of the people’s will.

Some of the devious or downright stupid reasons given for having a constituent assembly composed of the present legislature is that it would save money and time. No Constitution should be arrived at hastily and in a shortcut manner to save time or money. and silly reasons to rush at changing what would be the fundamental law of the land. It risks enacting laws without open and free debate, full participation by the public as necessary for a fundamental law to be arrived at for generations to come. With all the pork barrel al- lowances and other huge budgetary items for whatever that money has been found for, worthy or unworthy as these may be, enough money should also be found andmade available to go through the exercise of having a genuine constitutional convention with representatives from all over the archipelago freely elected by the citizenry. This is the only way that changes should be made in a Constitution that will be accepted by the people.

Note that in the Lower House there is a minuscule opposition that is constantly steamrollered over as the majority blindly follows the leadership’s misplaced priorities. What then can one expect when it comes to debating constitutional issues? The same thing, the opposition will be steamrollered, the voting rigged and manipulated using the spoils system and other political quid pro quos for acquir-