MANILA, Philippines — While introducing one or two amendments can be discussed, Charter change (Cha-cha)—or replacing the entire Constitution—is “nearly impossible,” Senator Vicente Sotto III said Thursday.
Sotto made the remark as talks on amending the 33-year old 1987 Constitution re-surfaced in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“Offhand, ‘pag Cha-cha pinag-usapan, napakasikip agad. Halos imposible. Baka amendments to the Charter. Baka one or two points ‘yung aamyendahan doon, may pag-asa pa. Pero ‘pag sinabi mong Charter change, it’s the entire Constitution that you have to replace,” Sotto said in an interview with reporters.
“So mahirap siguro kung Charter change ang pag-uusapan. Ngayon, kung to amend a certain provision or provisions, mapapag-usapan ‘yan,” the Senate President added.
In December 2020, Senators Francis Tolentino and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa filed a resolution convening Congress as a constituent assembly to introduce “limited amendments” to the Constitution.
In the resolution, the senators said reforms are needed to be introduced to the country’s Constitution “in order to aid the country in achieving economic growth, especially during this time of rising global uncertainty.”
It was, however, not specified what amendments will be introduced to the Constitution. The senators only said that the amendments are only “limited to the provisions on democratic representation and the economic provisions of the Constitution.”
Sotto said amending the Constitution was discussed during a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte back in November 2020.
However, Sotto clarified that the President only wanted amendments in the party-list system and the economic provisions of the Constitution.
Meanwhile, hearings on constitutional amendments will resume in the House of Representatives next week.
Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Alfredo Garbin, who chairs the House committee on constitutional amendments, said that proposed amendments to be discussed only deals with the “restrictive” economic provisions of the Constitution.