Koko to Gadon: Mind off Constitutional amendments

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Wednesday urged Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Secretary Larry Gadon to focus on his job and refrain from minding the Constitutional amendments.

“It would be better to ask Sec. Gadon what poverty alleviation measures he has in mind and just request him to keep his mind off constitutional amendments,” Pimentel told reporters in a text message.

Earlier in the day, Gadon, a disbarred lawyer, called on Congress leaders to incorporate political amendments into the ongoing discussion on Charter change.

“As discussions on amending the economic provisions of the Constitution unfold, it presents a significant opportunity to consider including changes to the political provisions as well,” he said in an open letter he addressed to Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Speaker Martin Romualdez.

“Certain political provisions have proven to be costly and redundant, and amending them could lead to improved governance and greater benefits for the people,” he added.

One of the proposals he made was to extend the term of local officials, including Members of the House of Representatives, Governors, Vice Governors, Board Members, Mayors, Vice Mayors, and Councilors, to six years.

He also proposed increasing the number of senators from 24 to 48 to enhance efficiency, as well as transitioning from a Presidential to a Parliamentary form of government, with the Prime Minister position shared by the Senate President and Speaker of the House.

“Cabinet ministers would be appointed by the Prime Minister, responsible for daily government affairs and subject to removal by a vote of no confidence,” he said.

Currently, both chambers are considering two proposed measures related to amending the Constitution: Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 and Resolution of Both Houses No. 7.

RBH 6 and RBH 7 contain similar provisions such as amendments to economic provisions that concern public services, education, and the advertising industry, with one exception: the Senate’s RBH 6 stated that the amendments would become effective upon a three-fourths vote of its members, with votes cast separately in each body.

The RBH 7, the House of Representatives’ version of RBH 6, was approved by the chamber last month on the last day of session before the Congressional break.

The Senate’s RBH 6, on the other hand, is still pending at the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes headed by its chair, Senator Sonny Angara.

Angara previously said that the upper chamber may conclude its discussion on its version of economic Cha-cha by October at the latest.