‘Flawed, errant’ draft federal Charter of House won’t succeed, says Lagman

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman. (File photo by RYAN LEAGOGO / INQUIRER.net)

The “flawed” draft federal Charter of the House of Representatives will not flourish.

Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman made this bold prediction on Tuesday, as he noted that even the administration’s economic managers has “fatally torpedoed” the federal system while Malacañang also has not recently pushed for it.

“It will never fly. I’m very confident,” Lagman said in a press briefing.

The opposition lawmaker noted that the renewed Charter change (Cha-cha) initiative in the House is “flawed and errant” because it preempts projected constitutional change by a Constituent Assembly (Con-ass) without securing the concurrence of the Senate.

Cha-cha efforts remain pending in Senate as senators want separate – not joint – voting. The House has been proposing a joint voting once the two chambers convene as a Con-ass.

Lagman, meanwhile, pointed out that the draft charter “short-circuits the logical and legitimate succession of the Vice President to the Presidency.”

“The present admin has been targeting the Vice President and that move is consistent with the direction being undertaken by the admin,” he said.

Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin also criticized the transition provision of the draft charter, which removed the Vice President as President Rodrigo Duterte’s successor during transition.

He said it was “really directed” against Robredo.

Lagman also dismissed the argument of constitutional amendments panel chair and Leyte 3rd District Rep. Vicente “Ching” Veloso that the panel eliminated Robredo in the line of succession to “avoid instability” given the ongoing electoral protest filed against the Vice President by former Senator Bongbong Marcos, who claims he was cheated in the 2016 elections.

READ: VP out of power succession aims to avoid ‘instability’ in leadership

“The election protest will have to take its course,” Lagman said.

“But, meanwhile, we have a duly elected Vice President and she should not be deprived of the constitutional right to succeed the President,” he added. /kga