Drilon thumbs down House move to amend Constitution

SENATE Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon has dumped the renewed initiative in the House of Representatives to revive the aborted plan to tinker with the Constitution soon as lawmakers reconvene regular sessions starting next week.

Drilon affirmed Tuesday his determination to stand in the way of the renewed efforts to push Charter change (Cha-cha) in Congress, even as lawmakers signaled determination to start deliberations to pave the way for amending the Constitution.

Drilon dismissed efforts to revive the “very divisive” Cha-cha issues, suggesting that lawmakers should instead focus on crafting remedial legislation to revive the economy.

In a news statement, Drilon asserted that “regardless of the merit, the issue on Cha-cha is the timing: Should we debate on Cha-cha now, which is a very divisive issue, or should we concentrate all our efforts and resources on economic recovery ?”

At the same time, the senator from Iloilo voiced concerns that discussing Cha-cha in the State of the Nation Address (Sona) is “a waste of time” and stressed that the Sona should just focus on the President’s plans for the country’s recovery and healing from the Covid-19 pandemic.

He affirmed his position on learning that the Department of the Interior and Local Government confirmed last week that the League of Municipalities of the Philippines passed a resolution seeking Charter changes, purportedly to “lift the restrictions on foreign investment,” among others.