(Eagle News) — Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Thursday said that once Congress convenes to amend the 1987 Constitution via a constitutional assembly, it will become a “virtual rubberstamp” of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“With the projected constituent assembly principally composed of Duterte’s dyed in the wool allies, what the President wants as amendments or revision will be delivered with alacrity and minimal debate,” he said in a statement.
He said that this “imprudent fast tracking happened in the two extensions of martial law in Mindanao and the approval of the reimposition of the death penalty by the House of Representatives.”
As such, Lagman said that instead of using the Con-ass method to amend the Constitution, a constitutional convention should be resorted to.
“Verily, a constitutional convention must be called where the delegates are elected by the sovereign people to singularly and precisely propose amendments to or revision of the 1987 Constitution,” he said.
Lagman said that it should not be a “question of expense but a matter of independence and integrity.”
“We must not count centavos and pesos in undertaking a charter change by asserting that a constituent assembly is less expensive than holding a constitutional convention,” he said.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have said that amending the Constitution to pave the way for federalism would be a priority this year.
Duterte has said a federal form of government would address the long-standing problems in Mindanao.