Thursday, September 29, 2005
Charter body gets down to work
THE Citizens' Consultative Commission (Concom) officially started doing its job Wednesday afternoon with the election of Philippine Constitutional Association member and former 1987 Constitutional Commission member Jose Abueva Jr. as chairman.
The 39 members of the Concom, as three of them were absent, where also sworn in by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita before the election of officers and committee chairmanships.
Sworn in as Concom members were Abueva, Antony Acevedo, Ronald Adamat, Emmanuel Angeles, Sergio Apostol, Rene Azurin, Jose Bello, Jr., Ma. Romela Bengzon, Francis Chua, Donald Dee, Rolando Dizon, Gilberto Duavit, Gerardo Espina, Sr., Pablo Garcia, Nelia Gonzalez, Joji Iligan-Bian, Rita Linda Jimeno, Gonzalo Jurado, Jose Leviste Jr., James Marty Lim, Lito Monico Lorenzana, Sergio Luiz-Ortiz Jr., Alexander Raymundo Magno, Emily Marohombsar, Jose Sonny Matula, Democrito Mendoza, David Naval, Victor Ortega, Vecente Paterno, Carmen Pedrosa, Oscar Rodriguez, Pedro Romualdo, Bishop Efraim Tendero, Ray Teves and Antonio Vilar.
Also sworn in are new members Miguel Varela, chairman emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Angelo Abarico, editor-publisher of the Mindanao-Business Reporter; Cecilio Seno, former commissioner of the social security commission and national labor commission; former deputy speaker Alfredo Abueg Jr.
Jarius Bondoc; Mel Senen Sarmineto and Alfonso Yuchengo were absent. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was initially included in the list of members but he turned down the invitation due to his work.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita also named former President Fidel Ramos, former Prime Minister Cesar Virata and former Central Bank governor Gabriel Singson as resource persons or members of the Concom advisory board.
Ermita also sworn in Abueva as Concom chairman.
The rest of the elected officials, who have yet to take their oath, are Dizon, executive vice chairman; Rodriguez, vice chairman for Luzon; Garcia, vice chairman for Visayas; Romualdo, vice chairman for Mindanao; Pedrosa, vice chairman for Metro Manila; and Lorenzana, secretary-general.
The Concom has yet to finished its election of officers and members of the committees on state principles and policies, federalism, parliamentary government, political party and reform, judicial reform, suffrage and electoral reform, economic policy reform, duties and obligations, style, ways and means, and rules as of press time.
Presidential Management Staff Rigoberto Tiglao said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may still appoint the remaining nine members of the Concom.
He said in the meantime, the Concom must start its work as they have to submit their recommendations by December 15 to Arroyo, who in turn will submit it to Congress by December 31.
Ermita reiterated that the Concom's input only aims to help Congress in its deliberations. "We hope that Congress will take into consideration the result of the job of the Concom because this is composed of people of probity, with enough experience and integrity who have exposure to governance that we feel that they'll be able to contribute to improve the provisions of the Constitution," he said.
Asked if Arroyo would abide by a reduction of her term when the Charter is amended, Ermita said the initiative to amend the Charter came from her "and therefore when you ask, will the President abide, definitely she will abide. (JMR/Sunnex)
(September 29, 2005 issue)
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