House draft charter reverted to committee level

THE House of Representatives on Wednesday, October 10, reverted to its committee on constitutional amendments the proposed federal constitution drafted by House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and 21 other lawmakers over the exclusion of the Vice President from the line of succession in the proposed transition government.

This, after the House carried the motion of Cebu 1st District Representative Raul del Mar to recommit to the committee on constitutional amendments its Committee Report No. 881 which contains its decision to approve without amendments Resolution of Both Houses No. 15 or the "Resolution of Both Houses Proposing the Revision of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.”

The said committee report was scheduled for sponsorship and debate during the plenary session on Wednesday, October 10.

Del Mar said the action is necessary “in order to introduce perfecting amendments on the failure to include the vice president in the first line of succession.”

Majority Leader Rolando Andaya likewise made a motion for the members of the majority to propose amendments to change the provision, which excludes the vice president from the line of succession in the transition government.

“On the part of the majority at the proper time, we will submit an amendment to the committee as requested by the honorable Raul Del Mar on page 44 article 17 transitory provision on line 25, replace the word Senate by the word Vice so that paragraph will read as follows, 'in case a vacancy arises by reason of removal, resignation, permanent incapacity or death of the incumbent president, the incumbent vice president shall act as president’."

Andaya’s motion was likewise approved by the plenary.

Under the transitory provision in RBH No. 15, the Senate President shall replace the incumbent president if a vacancy arises during the transition period or before the May 2022 elections proposed under the Arroyo-backed draft charter.

Leyte Representative Vicente Veloso, the chairperson of the House constitutional panel, said this is proposed to prevent instability as Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo is facing an electoral protest before the Supreme Court.

The said provision was criticized by opposition lawmakers, with Magnificent seven leader Albay Representative Edcel Lagman saying it is errant as it short-circuits the logical and legitimate succession of the Vice President to the Presidency.

Other highlights of the Resolution of Both Houses No. 15 are the lifting of term limits for lawmakers from both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The draft charter set the first election on the second Monday of May 2022. The current President and Vice President's term will end on June 30, 2022.

The draft shortened the term of the President and Vice President to four years each but proposed that both leaders 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. (SunStar Philippines)