Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Amendments on Friday urged Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez to ignore the political amendment proposals of presidential adviser and ex-senatorial candidate Larry Gadon.
He said he has no doubt that the House leader would just throw the letter into the garbage can “because the Speaker has repeatedly echoed the stand of our President BBM that only economic Charter reforms should be considered and effected.”
He said Gadon, as a presidential adviser, should heed the President’s statement.
The Mindanao lawmaker recalled that President Marcos, in a speech before the Philippine Constitution Association last Feb. 8, unequivocally stated that he was advocating only economic amendments.
He quoted the President as saying: “I want to make it clear: This administration’s position in introducing reforms to our Constitution extends to economic matters alone, or those strategically aimed at boosting our country’s economy. Nothing more.”
Rodriguez is one of the co-authors of Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7, the House version of the economic Charter change proposals which only amends provisions on public utility, higher education, and advertising. The Senate version is RBH No. 6.
“As a co-author of RBH 7, I will never support political amendments,” Rodriguez said.
He said it is suggestions like those of Gadon and questions on political changes in surveys such as those included in the recent Pulse Asia poll that confuse the public on the advocacy of the President and leaders of the House and the Senate on economic Charter amendments.
He noted that while most Filipinos supported Charter reform in a recent survey of big data research firm Tangere, the opposite trend is seen in a Pulse Asia poll.
The Mindanao lawmaker reiterated his appeal for the Senate to pass its economic constitutional amendment version, RBH 6, authored by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Loren Legarda and Juan Edgardo Angara, as soon as Congress reconvenes later this month.
He said Senate approval of RBH 6 would put to rest the issue on the coverage of the Charter change initiative.
Among Gadon’s political amendment proposals are changing the term of local officials and House members from three years to six years, the same as those of the President, Vice President and senators, so the nation would have elections every six years, instead of every three years.
Even without considering the Pulse Asia survey, showing most Filipinos do not support economic charter change, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III yesterday said the chances of Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6 in the Senate is a “longshot.”
He said this is not because of the content of RBN No. 6, but because of its context.
RBH No. 6 seeks to amend the three restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution which pertain to public utilities, education and advertising.
Pimentel noted that the context refers to a situation under which it is happening because there was an attempt for a People’s Initiative.
The minority leader said he feels it would be better not to open “this door or this box,” obviously referring to the Constitution.
He warned this might lead to unintended or unforeseen consequences.
“If you look at the wording of the proposed amendments, they’re really doubtful because all power is given to the House of Representatives.”