Robin Padilla eyes holding Cha-cha hearings in rural settings

FILE PHOTO: Senator Robinhood Padilla during the organizational meeting and briefing of the Committee on Culture and the Arts on Thursday, September 1, 2022. (Bibo Nueva España / Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — To help a wider audience grasp the complexity of the Charter reform issue, Senator Robin Padilla is considering holding public hearings in outlying locations.

As for the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, Padilla assured everyone that both pro- and anti-Cha-cha academics would be invited to all future sessions.

“Ayaw kong isipin ng mga tao din na maging one-sided tayo. Hindi ito ipapatawag natin puro federalist lang,” he said in an interview at Net-25 on Wednesday night.

(I do not want people to think we are one-sided. Not only federalists, but all political perspectives are welcome.)

“Ipatatawag din natin ang naniniwala sa 1987 Constitution at ito ay gagawin natin ang hearing na ito sa malalayong lugar,” he added without mentioning specific areas.

(We’ll also have to call in the naysayers who think the Constitution of 1987 should be left alone. We want to hold some of our hearings in distant places.

On Friday, September 2, it will be the third and public hearing on the proposed Constitutional Amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

READ: ‘Not a new concept’: Senate panel begins discussion on bid to amend charter

The resource persons for Friday’s discussion are National Security Adviser Dr. Clarita Carlos, Professor Solita Monsod, and Constitutional Reform and Rectification for Economic Competitiveness and Transformation’s Orion Perez Dumdum.

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