"These debates are timely."
"These debates are timely."
The Senate recently announced that it is setting aside Charter change due to lack of time. The Senate expressed no urgency about Charter change.
I, on the other hand, approach the issue of Charter change from the perspective of timeliness.
Previous administrations considered amending the Constitution and formed consultative bodies to conduct relevant studies. These efforts did not gain much momentum. These efforts were halted by violent, and perhaps unfounded accusations of an attempt by politicians to perpetuate themselves in power by changing constitutionally-mandated term limits for elected officials.
Ideally, a Constitution is lasting and permanent. The 1987 Constitution was written and passed under conditions that undermine the possibility of permanence. The nation was in violent and traumatic transition. But now, 2018, the transition is over. The conditions prevailing more than 30 years ago no longer exist.
It is time to revisit the Constitution. We must determine whether its provisions are sustainable and can stand firm as our nation is continuously adapting to an evolving, connected world. For our nation to progress with such changes, we must innovate not just our tools and processes, but even the system in which we are running.
We should table for debate the economic provisions, allowing foreign participation in nationalized industries, and if our nation will progress under this present form of government. We should ask, does our present form of government, and how it is run, achieve the goals of the Local Government Code? To my mind, the issue here is not whether these debates are urgent. These debates are timely.