Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 10) – A number of senators on Monday rejected another attempt at extending the terms of top government officials.
“It’s too late in the day,” Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said in a text message to reporters.
“They should try that in the 19th Congress. Good luck,” added Sotto, who is running for vice president.
His running mate, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, shared the sentiment: no time to tackle charter change in the 18th Congress.
“Kung nun ngang mga nakaraang taon, hindi nangyari – lalo na ngayon (If in the past years, it did not happen, it most likely won’t happen now) that we have only 9 session days left,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, meanwhile, shrugged it off, saying “Papatulan pa ba ‘yang ganyang klaseng balita (Should we even pay attention to that kind of news)?”
On Friday, Pampanga Third District Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales, Jr. filed Resolution of Both Houses 7, urging the Senate and the House of Representatives to convene into a constituent assembly to introduce amendments to the Constitution.
Gonzales pushed for fixing the term of the president and vice president to five years with one reelection, or a total of 10 years, instead of the current single six-year term. Under his proposal, members of the House will also be elected for a five-year term with one reelection, replacing the constitutional limit of a three-year term with two reelections.
Gonzales, a reelectionist, said these would allow continuity in government, lamenting that the current terms of office are “too short.”
During the 17th Congress, the House of Representatives approved a resolution seeking a constituent assembly, but the Senate failed to decide on pertinent issues: Whether there is a need to amend the Constitution, and if so, whether it will be done by a constitutional convention or a constituent assembly.
In a constituent assembly, lawmakers convene and decide on the constitutional changes themselves. This is different from a constitutional convention which requires the holding of nationwide elections to select the delegates who will draft the amendments.
