Go hits House bill on longer term for solons, shorter term for senators

Senator Bong Go. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO / CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines — Senators should serve a term of six years.

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said this as he opposed a measure filed at the House of Representatives that would reduce a senator’s six-year term to four but would extend the term of congressmen extended from three years to four years.

“Ako naman po sa tingin ko wala pong senador na papayag na mabawasan yung termino niya. Binoto po sila ng taumbayan, anim na taon dapat po silang manungkulan,” Go told reporters during a phone patch interview at the Senate on Thursday.

“Unahin muna natin ang taumbayan. Kapakanan ng taumbayan bago yung kapakanan ng politiko, bakit natin uunahin yung pagfa-file ng pagpapahaba ng termino ng mga mambabatas, unahin muna natin yung tao,” he added.

Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez filed House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) No. 1 which would amend portions of the 1987 Constitution despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s silence on Charter change (Cha-cha) during his fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) earlier this week.

READ: House proposes longer term for its members, local execs

“Ako naman po, di ako papayag kung ang makikinabang po nito is kami pong mga politiko,” Go said.

The neophyte senator said that instead of tinkering with the political provisions of the Constitution, lawmakers should instead find ways to combat corruption, criminality and illegal drug use.

“Anyway, ayoko na pong dagdagan yung sa mga kongresista, basta hindi po ako sasangayon kung makikinabang po ay politiko, dapat ang Pilipino, ang taumbayan ang makikinabang,” he said.

“Kung sisilipin man nila itong ating Konstitutsyon, bigyan natin ng ngipin para labanan ang korapsyon sa gobyerno at kriminalidadat at laban sa iligal na droga. Ulitin ko, kung kaming politiko ang makikinabang, di po ako papayag diyan,” he further stressed./ac