Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER.net file photo / CATHY MIRANDA
MANILA, Philippines — There are no discussions yet in the Senate concerning efforts to rewrite the Constitution, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said Tuesday.
Drilon said this after President Rodrigo Duterte renewed his call to amend the 1987 Constitution, adding that in past hearings, the Senate has learned that the public does not want the Constitution be changed.
“Wala pong pinag-uusapan. Noong nakaraang Kongreso, maraming public hearings tungkol sa pagbabago ng Saligang Batas, ang pulso ng taumbayan ay wag na galawin ‘yan [There are no talks. During the last Congress, there were a lot of public hearings regarding amendments in the Constitution, but the sentiments of the people are telling otherwise],” Drilon said in an interview over dzMM when asked if there are discussions in the Senate on Charter change.
“Kung galawin man, ‘wag yung Kongreso ang gumalaw ng Saligang Batas. ‘Yan po ang sentimyento na aming nakuha nung public hearings sa buong bansa [If ever it will be amended, the Congress should not be the one to change it. That is the sentiments we get during public hearings around the country],” he added.
READ: Duterte renews call for charter change
The senator cited a recent pronouncement of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor Benjamin Diokno saying that Charter change could adversely affect the country’s economic growth.
“So, sa amin po sa Senado, wala kaming pinag-uusapan… It could change tomorrow pero sa ngayon, tingin ko, hindi po magagalaw sa Senado [For our part in the Senate, we have not discussed it yet… I think it will not be amended in the Senate],” the Senate Minority leader said.
He added that the Senate should focus on bills that could advance the county’s economy.
“Ang sa akin lang po, I could not speak for the majority, sa akin lang, unahin natin yung batas na magpapalago ng ating ekonomiya [For me, we should prioritize laws that will spur our economy],” Drilon said. (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)
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