(Eagle News) — Senator Panfilo Lacson on Thursday said statements on no-election and term extension scenarios will not help the campaign for a shift to a federal form of government.
It was House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez who said that polls in 2019 could be postponed during the transition to the new form of government.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III dismissed Alvarez’s claim, but added that a shift to federalism could result in a prolonged term for President Rodrigo Duterte, until 2022, if he was “amenable” to it.
“No less than the two leaders of both houses of Congress have started campaigning against (Charter Change), albeit subliminally,” Lacson said.
Apart from those two scenarios, Liberal Party president Francis Pangilinan floated the possibility of local officials being appointed–and not elected—instead during the transition period to the new form of government.
He said during that time, Duterte could be given the power to make laws, much like what was given to then-President Ferdinand Marcos under Amendment No. 6.
“Tatanggalin na ang restrictions sa exploitation ng dayuhan ng natural resources natin para wala nang hadlang na pumasok ang China at buhusan ng bilyon na pautang at pagnegosyo sa ating mga lupain at karagatan,” Pangilinan said. With a report from Meanne Corvera, Eagle News Service