Padilla pushes Con-con to amend 1987 Charter

SENATOR Robin Padilla declared on Thursday that he is open to pushing for a Constitutional Convention (Concon) to amend the economic and political provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

Padilla, presiding chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, said he is also “seeking help” from two former Finance secretaries to “ensure the the Con-con will not be too expensive.”

“Kasi nang nag-uusap kanina, halos lahat ng expert sinasabi nila bakit utayutay pa, bakit hindi sabayin,” Padilla said, adding: “Sabi ng legis, siguro isulong natin ang Con-con.”

The senator also indicated that his fellow lawmakers are keen to take the task to review the Constitution.

“Gusto natin talagang ang Constitution, kasi may nagsabi kanina na expert, ang linaw ng pagkakasabi, bakit naman isa-isa? ‘Di pa pagusapan nang buo. (Almost all the experts at today’s hearing said many provisions need to be amended simultaneously and not one provision at a time),” he said in an interview Wednesday night.

Padilla also signaled that he plans to file a resolution to the effect as early as this coming week.

Moreover, he cited “a need to amend the economic and political provisions of the Charter,” after resource persons at Wednesday’s hearing cited problems with provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

One involved the call of councilors to also extend the terms of local officials to five years instead of three, to have enough time to implement their programs.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Assistant Secretary Romeo Benitez noted that “three years is too short as the first year is a honeymoon period, the second is for serious work, and the third is to prepare for the next elections.”

“Sinasabi ng nasa local government, dapat 5 years. Kailangan pag-aralan. [Three years may be too short for local government posts—five years would be better. We must study this],” said Padilla.

Moreover, Padilla indicated he would seek help from former Finance Secretaries Margarito Teves and Romulo Neri to ensure the Con-con will not cost too much.

“Narinig nyo ang expert kanina... malinaw na malinaw na sinabi nila, old na po. Hindi na po natutugma sa panahon ngayon ang Constitution natin. [You heard the experts. They clearly said the Constitution is old and no longer in tune with the times],” he said.