OPPOSITION lawmaker Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate on Monday, October 8, questioned the "swift and dubious" approval at the committee level of the draft federal constitution filed by House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and 21 other lawmakers.
"The timing of its filing last September as well as its precipitate passing at the committee level last week is very dubious and was done when we were neck deep in the 2019 budget deliberations,” Zarate said.
The resolution, filed by Arroyo and 21 lawmakers on September 19, was approved by the House committee on constitutional amendments on October 2 without the knowledge of some lawmakers and the media because it was not included in the schedule of committee hearings at the House of Representatives.
Following its approval at the committee level, the draft charter will now go to plenary.
Zarate warned that the Arroyo draft charter is “dangerous” because if approved, it will postpone the 2019 elections to 2022, thus extending the terms of incumbent lawmakers.
Under the federal charter filed by Arroyo, or the Resolution of Both Houses No. 15, the first election shall be held on the second Monday of May 2022.
It provides that the President, Vice President and members of Congress shall enjoy a four-year term. The President and the Vice President shall be eligible for one reelection or a minimum of eight years in office.
Article VII of the 1987 Constitution provides that a President may serve only one term of six years. He or she is not eligible for reelection. This provision was put in place to avert another dictatorship.
The Arroyo-backed draft charter also lifts the term limit for lawmakers from both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The same proposal also prohibits the extension of the current President and Vice President’s term, which shall end on June 30, 2022. It further prohibits the incumbent president from running in the 2022 polls.
"As it is, this Arroyo-led Cha-cha push is very dangerous because if approved before the 2019 polls, this will in effect postpone the elections up to 2022, thereby extending the terms of the current officials,” said Zarate. Cha-cha refers to Charter change moves.
"Worse, this Cha-cha also lifts the term limits for congressmen and senators. So GMA in effect can still run for Congress; this is designed, thus, for her and many others to remain in power ad infinitum,” he added.
Collegial decision
Arroyo, in an ambush interview on Monday, October 8, said the proposed lifting of term limits was a collegial decision.
“It’s really a collegial decision,” she said when asked about the proposal.
She also said that the only difference between her proposed charter and the draft of the Consultative Committee is the provision on federal states.
“The only thing I added was a provision that instead of establishing the federal states, there’s a mechanism establishing the federal states. All the other provisions were already submitted by the ConCom and everyone else,” she said.
Sought for comment, Minority leader Danilo Suarez said he will support the Arroyo-backed resolution.
“It has pros and cons. If you remove the term limit then mawawala yung dynasty,” Suarez said, adding that term limits prompt political dynasties.
"Kaya nagkaron ng dynasty, 'pag lilipat siya sa ibang pwesto may patatakbuhin siyang iba, nagiging dalawa na yung apelido sa isang lugar. Ngayon kung walang term limit edi siya na lang nang siya walang magaambisyon na iba," he added.
(That is why there are political dynasties. If an elective official has completed his three terms and runs for another position, he fields a relative for his previous position. That is why we have officials with the same surname in one area. If there are no term limits, there would be no need to field relatives.)
Muntinlupa District Rep. Ruffy Biazon, in a press conference, said the House of Representatives may have to look into the resolution, particularly on the removal of the term limits.
“In the model that we are following, the United States, they don’t have term limits. Anong nakita natin na result niyan in the United States — we can see legislators who are really specialized in the field of legislation. Siguro masasabi natin kung icompare natin sa private companies, eperience in the job has a premium. Minsan nga 'pag ka mas matagal ka sa trabaho, in a particular job, considered ka na na expert and they value you more...” he said.
“The term limits that we have right now almost guarantees that we always have newbies in the legislature. We may have to look at this objectively kung gusto pa ba natin yung sistema na kung saan palaging bagito ang nakapwesto,” he added.
Biazon believes that the proposed constitution, if passed, will not be prone to abuse, saying it is still up for the voters to decide.
Aside from Arroyo, other authors of the resolution are Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr., Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso, Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro, Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo "Albee" Benitez and Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., among others.
Aside from lifting the term limits, the draft charter also proposes that the President, Vice President and members of Congress should be college graduates.
Those nominated by party-list groups, however, are exempted from the college degree requirement. The educational requirement will also not apply to those already elected as members of the Congress prior to the ratification of the proposed charter. (SunStar Philippines)