‘Rody can submit proposals to revise Charter’

President Duterte should put to work the 25-member constitutional commission if he wants to speed up the process of amending the Constitution, senators said yesterday.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said Duterte could submit to lawmakers his proposed amendments as drafted by the commission even as he stressed that the President cannot directly revise the Charter.

“The executive branch can come up with a proposed new Constitution… Let’s say the President has a better draft, he’s welcome to release it so we can immediately start studying it,” Pimentel told reporters.

He said the modes of amending the Constitution are clear in the Charter, either through a constitutional convention or a constituent assembly.

If the change entails only a simple amendment, the Constitution can be amended through a people’s initiative.

Pimentel said in all of the modes, the executive branch has no direct role.

“But everybody is welcome to give a proposal. This is a free country. Even the President can come up with his own proposed new Constitution,” he said.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said those concerned should not overreact to Duterte’s pronouncements as he apparently just wants to speed up the process of amending the Constitution.

“He’s a lawyer. He knows the implications and situation. We have to know him by now, his character – he’s really unique, he’s one of a kind,” Ejercito said.

He said Duterte did not raise the issue of Charter change in his latest meetings with senators.