By Meanne Corvera
Eagle News Service
The Senate has received the copy of the Consultative Committee’s draft federal Constitution.
The document was received by Senate President Tito Sotto from former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, chair of the Con-Com tasked to look into the 1987 Constitution, and former Senate President Nene Pimentel.
Sotto said, however, that they would still wait for President Rodrigo Duterte’s formal transmittal of the document hopefully in his third State of the Nation Address on July 23.
According to Puno, they included in the draft President Duterte’s request for a transitory provision since he said he no longer has plans to run in the 2022 elections.
Duterte has said he wanted elections for a transitory president and vice president to take place instead of him taking the helm of government as the country transitions from a unitary type of government to a federal type.
“We incorporated this (based on) the instructions of the President,” Puno said, as he thanked Sotto for his assurance the draft would be “properly considered.”
According to Sotto, he would immediately call for an all-member caucus next week or before the President’s SONA to talk about how to go about amending the Constitution—through a Constitutional Assembly or a Constitutional Convention–based on Duterte’s request.
A Con-Ass involves only members of Congress while a Con-Con involves delegates who need to be elected.
There is a third way to amend the Constitution, via a people’s initiative, where the petition should have the signature of at least 12% of registered voters in the country, and a minimum percentage from every legislative district.
Asked about the specter of a no-election scenario in 2019, Sotto said a Constitutional amendment was needed for this.
“Kasi malinaw sa Article 6, Section 8 of the 1987 Constitution na elections must be held every three years. Therefore, if you are going to postpone it, it needs a constitutional amendment and it has to go through a plebiscite also before we proceed,” he said.
Senator Francis Escudero agreed a constitutional amendment was needed, saying Congress has no power to postpone elections even if it passes a law for the same.
Pimentel, for his part, dismissed the no-election scenario outright.
He said if the federal government pushes through before the 2022 elections, those who won in the 2019 elections would have to run again for office in 2022.
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