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Friday, March 29, 2024

‘Cha-Cha Express’ rolls

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THE House of Representatives, in plenary session Tuesday night adopted House Concurrent Resolution 9 convening the House and Senate into a constituent assembly to revise the 1987 Constitution to effect federalism.

In voice voting, the House adopted the HCR drafted by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and several House leaders.

The resolutionwas adopted despite stiff opposition from members of the left-leaning Makabayan bloc who wished to interpellate Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado, who sponsored the resolution.

A total of 186 lawmakers were present during the roll call.

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A bid by opposition lawmakers to question the quorum prompted House leaders to rush the approval of the measure.

Mercado earlier said after the approval of HCR 9, all recommendations, including the PDP-Laban’s draft constitution and those reforms or amendments submitted by House members would be discussed by the different committees based on the rules on constituent assemblies.

 

The House measure will need the concurrence of the Senate before Congress can introduce amendments to pave the way for a shift to a federal form of government.

Despite denials from the Palace, the postponement of mid-term elections in 2019 and a term extension for President Rodrigo Duterte may be possible under the proposed federalism being pushed by administration allies in the House of Representatives.

The House committee on constitutional amendments, chaired by Mercado, began its deliberations on specific amendments to the 1987 Constitution to effect federalism that is advocated by Duterte.

One of the subcommittees tasked to review and rewrite the 1987 Constitution proposed a new constitution that will elect a powerful Prime Minister.

“But these are just possibilities. We are also sensitive to public sentiments, especially if the people would not want to suspend the election,” Mercado said, noting that  the 2019 elections will push through as scheduled should the people insist on it.

If the federal form of government is approved by the people, the draft bill provides that “the first election under this Constitution shall be held on the second Monday of May 2022.”

The new proposed Constitution will give elected officials five-year terms and up to two consecutive terms.

The proposal provides that the new President will have a five-year term and up to two consecutive terms.

While the Senate will not be abolished, the Office of the President will be dissolved during the first parliamentary election in May 2022.

The proposed bicameral-federalism set-up provides that the Prime Minister who will be elected by the Parliament composed of the Federal Assembly and the Senate will be tapped to head the government.

Under the proposal, the Prime Minister will be the head of the government. Along with the Cabinet, the Prime Minister will constitute the government and exercise executive power.

The Prime Minister will be elected by a majority of all members of the proposed Parliament, which is composed of the Federal Assembly—which will be similar to the current House of Representatives; and the Senate which will consist of a senator from each region.

The President, who acts as the head of state, will proclaim the election of the Prime Minister.

Under the proposal, the Prime Minister shall perform the following functions: the preparation of the program of the government, prepare the annual budget of the Federal Republic, execute all laws, lawful orders and decisions of the Federal Supreme Court, and enter into contracts, including loans, on the government’s behalf.

The Prime Minister will also appoint all heads of executive offices, including Cabinet members and police officials from the rank of police director.

The Prime Minister has the power to remove members of the Cabinet at his or her discretion.

The Prime Minister or any members of the Cabinet may also resign for any cause without vacating his seat in the Parliament.

The draft did specify if the incumbent president, or President Duterte, shall be allowed or barred from running as President under the new parliamentary form of government in its first election to be held in the second Monday of May 2022.

The proposal also calls for the division of the Philippines into five states: Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, the Bangsamoro and Metro Manila. Each state shall have its its own constitution, name, capital, flag, anthem and seal.

Each state will have its own unicameral State Assembly, which will handle all the legislative functions of the state government. The State Assembly will be composed of two representatives elected from each province and one representative directly elected from each highly-urbanized or independent cities.

The leftist Akbayan Citizens’ Action on Tuesday hit Congress’ supposed scheme to extend the term limits of President Duterte and give him “almost absolute” power.

“Charter change offers no real change. It’s a scam led by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to keep the old oligarchs, traditional politicians and warlords in power,” Akbayan president Machris Cabreros said.

“The proposal by Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan to extend the terms of the President and ‘congresspersons’ up to 10 years proves that the trapos shamelessly want to cling to their seats longer,” he added.

Cabreros also slammed a proposal to put the president as head of state and head of government during the transition period, giving Duterte powers over the legislative.

“The proposal to dissolve Congress and replace it with an interim parliament leaves law-making to their vested interests before the 2022 elections,” he said in a statement.

“During the transition period, it will be a free-for-all for Duterte and his ilk. Imagine laws like death penalty, immunity for the Marcoses and other draconian measures being passed.”

Senator JV Ejercito, meanwhile, said a bicameral legislature is essential to maintaining checks and balances in a democracy.

He said legislative work is not about how fast one can pass a law or how many laws a chamber can pass.

“Legislation is about passing quality laws that will address the needs of the people. It is about the quality of debate and not the speed of passage of laws,” said Ejercito.

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