Palace: No railroading of Cha-cha

Malacañang yesterday distanced itself from the alleged plan to railroad Charter change, assuring the public of enough time and opportunity to discuss the issue.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque stressed that President Duterte, who is advocating a shift towards federalism, has no intention to rush the discussions on Charter change.

Duterte, he added, prefers that lawmakers await the recommendation of the consultative committee created to review the 1987 Constitution before they discuss the issue.

Last Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon claimed that some allies of Duterte in Congress are planning to rush discussions and do Charter change in order to prolong their terms in office.

Citing two unnamed sources, he alleged that the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls slated for May would be postponed to October “to give them time to railroad the proposed Charter change, which would include provisions for term extension.”

But Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III maintained yesterday there are no proposals in the chamber to postpone the barangay elections and that he is not aware of any bill filed in the Senate seeking to postpone the elections in May.

“There must be a pressing reason to postpone the elections. I can’t imagine any. Let’s wait for whoever is proposing to give the reason why (the elections should be postponed),” Pimentel said when asked whether he favors such a postponement.

He said the Commission on Elections is prepared to hold the barangay and SK elections and the people apparently also want to elect village chiefs.

Roque said Drilon’s claims are “strange” because Pimentel had declared that the barangay elections in May would push through.

“This will belie already the statement of Senator Drilon. I’m just surprised that it’s coming from a minority senator. Normally, it’s a minority senator that will insist that elections will push through, but it was actually the Senate President himself who informed the audience to prepare for barangay elections in May,” Roque said in a press briefing.