House passes Charter change bill via con-con

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

THE HOUSE of Representatives on Monday approved on final reading a resolution seeking to change economic provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution through a constitutional convention (con-con).

At a plenary session, 301 congressmen voted yes, six voted no and one abstained.

“Extensive studies show that particular economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution need to be revisited and recrafted so that the Philippines may become globally competitive and attuned with the changing times,” according to a copy of the resolution.

Albay Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, Basilan Rep. Mujiv S. Hataman, Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel H. Bordado, Jr. and Party-list Reps. Arlene D. Brosas, France L. Castro and Raoul Danniel A. Manuel voted no to Charter change.

The House is debating a separate bill detailing how the convention will operate. House Bill 7352 provides for a hybrid constitutional convention composed of elected and appointed members. They will be paid P10,000 a day and enjoy travel and lodging allowances.

The Senate president and Speaker will jointly choose the appointed delegates — retired Judiciary members, academic professors, economists and lawyers.

There should also be delegates from the medical and science and technology field, labor, urban poor, farmers, fisherfolk and business sectors.

Indigenous cultural communities, women, youth, veterans, persons with disabilities, senior citizens and other sectors will be represented as well.

To qualify as a delegate, a person must be a natural-born Filipino citizen aged at least 25 years and a registered voter.

They must also have a college degree, except poor delegates. Ex-convicts are disqualified.  The convention will run from Nov. 21 to June 30, 2024.

“Our economic maladies had never been because of economic limitations of the 1987 Constitution,” Terry L. Ridon, a former lawmaker and convener of think tank Infrawatch PH, said in an e-mail. “It had always been because of continuing governance issues at all levels of government.”

“Without question, Congress is railroading Charter change despite the clear policy pronouncement of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. that the measure is not among his priorities at this time,” he added.

 Mr. Ridon said Mr. Marcos should clarify his position on constitutional amendments.