The Senate’s deliberation on the various proposals to revise the 1987 Constitution is expected to gain momentum next year when Congress resumes sessions on Jan. 16, 2017, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said.
Pimentel said he hopes that Congress can already be convened into a Constituent assembly (Con-ass) next year, or if ever a Constitutional Convention (Con-con) is chosen as the mode to be used to amend the Constitution, the government should start preparing for elections to be held late next year.
What is important, he said, is that the 25-man constitutional commission that President Rodrigo Duterte has formed and assigned to do consultative study of the Constitution would be ready to submit to Congress its working draft on how Charter change should be pursued and what amendments should be considered.
“They should be ready with the draft by the first half of 2017…So we can have a working draft to start discussing on,” Pimentel said in a DZBB interview.
“Because if we convert ourselves, the Congress, into a constituent assembly, or if we call for a Constitutional convention, either way, we need to allot money for that, and likewise, set aside the date of election. We need to pass a law,” Pimentel said.
Pimentel, likewise downplayed concerns, the President has the propensity to abuse his authority and to be a dictator.
This, after Duterte said urged lawmakers to consider amending the Constitution and make it less difficult for the President to declare martial law. (Hannah Torregoza)