THE Office of the Vice President may be abolished under a proposed federal government and its abolition “ is beyond the control of the Palace,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday.
Vice President Leni Robredo, who was declared to have won a slim margin over former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., questioned the possible abolition of the office of the vice president, the second highest position in the country.
In a press briefing, Roque said under a federal form of government, the OVP would be removed and would eventually be decided upon by the Filipino people.
“There’s talk about abolition of vice president under Charter change. That’s beyond the control of the Palace.
As you know, it is Congress sitting as a constituent assembly that will propose amendments,” he said.
“I’m sure that because any proposed amendment to the Constitution will be subject to the ratification of the people, ultimately it will be the people who will judge this matter,” Roque added.
In related developments:
• The House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, which will hold its deliberations today on specific amendments to effect federalism, estimates the government will spend P204 million if Congress convened as a constituent assembly to propose amendments to the Constitution as part of the proposal to shift into a federal system, while a constitutional convention could cost P11 billion.
“That’s how economical and effective, if we will amend or review our Constitution through a constituent assembly,” committee chairperson Roger Mercado added.
The Duterte administration has been pushing for a shift to a federal form of government as a means to address issues particularly in strife-torn Mindanao.
In an earlier interview, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said if Congress decided to convene as a constituent assembly this month, the proposed new federal Charter might be submitted for a referendum simultaneously with the scheduled Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections this May.
In a constitutional convention, however, delegates are elected by the people to propose amendments or revisions in the Constitution.
“There are so many things that need to be reviewed. The program of our President on graft and corruption, the program on peace and order. Why is the need for a federal form of government because the President wants our local government units to be responsible on (sic) their own respective jurisdiction. We have to support them,” Mercado said at a news conference.
Mercado cited some of the constitutional provisions being eyed to be revised by the panel.
These include Article I of the 1987 Constitution provision defining the country’s territory to strengthen the Philippines stand in the disputed areas on the West Philippine Sea.
Mercado said the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration favoring the Philippines in its West Philippine sea claims would have to be reconsidered
“We shall retain the archipelagic theory but we should now take note of the decision of the international tribunal – how we can implement it so that it will be respected by other countries,” Mercado said.
• Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Monday said the plan of President Rodrigo Duterte to establish a unicameral legislature confirmed his suspicions that the bashing of the Senate was part of the plan to demean the value of the Upper Chamber so would be easier to abolish it.
“[With just] the unicameral legislature, that just confirms what I said,” said Drilon, a member of the Minority Bloc in the Senate.
However, Drilon said he respected the President’s view on the creation of a unicameral legislature being the political leader of the country.
“But having said that, let us not forget that the constitutional amendment is basically a function and prerogative of Congresss,” said Drilon.
He noted that in the Constitution, constitutional amendments are proposed either by Congress as a constituent assembly or by a constitutional convention.
He said the proposal goes directly to the people for ratification. It does not pass by Malacanang.
“Having said that, certainly the view of the political leader of this country has a lot of weight insofar as Congress is concerned, especially that there is a supermajority in Congress, but this is a bicameral congress and we would like to think that the Senate has always been proud of its independence as a tradition,” he said.