It would entail at least P8 billion to choose members of a Constitutional Convention who will initiate Charter Change that could benefit several generations, according to Buhay party-list Rep. Joselito Atienza, also the House deputy minority leader.
If the government could spend P26 billion to elect a president with a six-year term and a legislative representative with a three-year term, why can’t it not spend P8 billion for a Con-Con? Atienza asked.
He stood pat on his ground to back a Con-Con instead of a Constitutional Assembly to amend the 1987 Constitution.
“We should not hesitate to spend for the preparation of a new Constitution that could free up the national economy from the clutches of oligarchs, build genuine peace and order, provide full employment and guarantee every Filipino family a rising standard of living,” he said.
“Congress must treat the spending for a Con-Con as an investment in the future of our children, and in the future of our children’s children. We should not treat it as an expense.”
The 1987 Constitution primarily returned the presidential form of government with a bicameral Congress from the parliamentary form espoused by the 1973 Constitution, with the inclusion of several check-and-balance mechanisms among the three branches of government: judiciary, executive and legislative.
After the late president Ferdinand Marcos’ ouster in the 1986 People Power Revolution, the 1973 Constitution was replaced through a Constitutional Commission when the late President Corazon C. Aquino issued Proclamation No. 9 on April 23, 1986.
“This is the first time in nearly 30 years that we will be rewriting the 1987 Constitution. We might as well invest wisely in perfecting a truly responsive and highly relevant new Charter through a Con-Con,” Atienza said.
He reacted to the claim of Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, a House majority leader, who is batting for a Con-Ass that could cost only P2 billion against Con-Con’s estimated cost of P6 billion to P8 billion.
“Next year, we will be spending another P6 billion for the barangay polls. Is the House majority telling us that electing barangay officials that we will replace in three years is more important than voting for a Con-Con? We can spend P6 billion for the barangay polls, but we cannot spend P8 billion for a Con-Con?” Atienza saidd.
In a Con-Con, the citizenry would elect representatives to recommend amendments to the Constitution, while under a Con-Ass, members of Congress would do the task.
In both cases, the proposed changes will require final direct approval by the people in a referendum.