(UPDATED) TWO days after his Cebu prayer rally on February 25, 2024, former President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated that his stance on the constitutional amendment has stayed the same.
Duterte, who met with the Davao media on the evening of February 27, said he does not see any provisions in the Constitution that need to be tinkered.
However, "Cha-cha is again coming up," he is firm in his opposition to changing the terms of office of elected or even appointed officials.
He, however, said if there are any changes or modifications in the terms of office, it should be progressive, meaning no current officials should benefit from it.
"But if you can do it na i-amend mo, but the problem is if you amend the Constitution and you are the incumbent president, you have all the resources to get what you want!," Duterte emphasized.
He explained that when somebody is opening the Constitution for changes or amendments nobody can place restrictions or conditionalities to limit the changes he would make, however it is done --- either through constituent assembly or constitutional convention.
During the event, he also "requested" the congressmen and the senators not to tinker with their terms of office, especially if they aim to make these longer, if the Charter change is pushed.
"It should not be used to promote the ambitions of the Congress or everybody else, even the Supreme Court," adding that if there are those who would benefit from changing the Constitution, it should not apply to the incumbent, but only to the future elected or appointed people.
Duterte said that in democracy, there should be “rotation” in leading the country.
“Now is the time for a Bicolano to be a president, maybe tomorrow the southwestern part of Mindanao, which would be Zamboanga towards Jolo, I would even relish an Ifugao for president," he said. CEA
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