In this May 18, 2020 file photo, members of the House of Representatives attend a session. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines — To dispel doubts on the proposed Charter change (Cha-cha), the plebiscite for the economic amendments to the Constitution may be held along with the 2022 elections, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Monday.
Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said conducting the Cha-cha plebiscite at the same time as the national elections next year will ensure that there will be no term extension for lawmakers.
“Ang plano po ng ating Kongreso ay magpatawag ng plebesito sabay sa ating idaraos na national elections sa 2022. Lumalabas po dito na kung ang eleksyon ay sabay sa plebesito ay hindi po makikinabang ang mga Kongresista dahil walang term extension na mangyayari,” Malaya said in a televised Laging Handa Public Briefing.
The DILG official said the proposed Constitutional amendment will be the insertion of the one-liner phrase “as may be provided by law” to allow Congress to amend the restrictive provisions of the Constitution such as foreign ownership, trade, and other economic concerns.
DILG Usec. Jonathan Malaya. Screengrab from RTVM video
Congress is set to resume charter change debatesthis month focusing on “restrictive” economic provisions of the Constitution.
The latest push for Cha-cha has been widely criticized, with some questioning its “timing” as the country still grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic.
But Malaya said “timing” should not be an issue against the administration, noting that President Rodrigo Duterte had promised to push for amendments in the 1987 Constitution from the beginning of his term.
“Talaga naman pong nasa listahan iyan, bago pa man po mag-submit ng kanyang certificate of candidacy ang ating Presidente, maliwanag naman po na gusto niyang amiyendahan ang ating Saligang Batas,” he said.