Pimentel: We don’t amend the Constitution just to clear streets

MANILA, Philippines— Using Manila Mayor Isko Moreno as example of how the country’s problems could be solved without amending the Constitution stumped Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

“Para lang maglinis?” Pimentel, president of the ruling PDP-Laban, asked during the Kapihan sa Senado on Thursday. “I mean, hindi naman kami nag-a-amend para lang malinis ang daan ah.”

“Yun lang? Kung yun lang, hindi talaga kelangan ng Constitution kung linisin lang ang mga daan,”  he added.

The senator made the remark, a day after Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto described Moreno as the “glowing ‘Exhibit A’ of the reality that many of the country’s problems can be solved without having to rewrite the Constitution.”

READ: Duterte: ‘If you do not want federalism, fine, but change the Constitution’

As promised during the campaign period, Moreno immediately began his cleanup drive in Manila as soon as he was elected city mayor last May.

Pimentel insisted on his party’s advocacy to push for federalism despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement that he is no longer keen on pushing for it.

“If you do not want federalism, fine, but change the Constitution that would change this nation,” Duterte, chairman of PDP-laban, earlier said.

READ: Duterte: ‘If you do not want federalism, fine, but change the Constitution’

But Pimentel stressed that the party is advocating for Charter change because of federalism and not to just amend the Constitution.

“So yun sana…Kaya sabi ko nga, what are the other proposals? If they are also brilliant ones, then we are open to support them,” he said.

“But to basics kami dapat sa party na the reason why the party advocates for Charter change  is for the adoption of a federal system of government. That’s the basic reason why,” the senator pointed out.  /muf