FILE PHOTO: Senator Robinhood Padilla during a hybrid hearing of the committee on public information and mass media on Thursday, February 23, 2023. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Robin Padilla is open to political changes in the 1987 Constitution.
Padilla, who is pushing for Charter change, earlier said that he will only push for economic amendments in the Constitution.
In response to a question from the media, he confirmed that he is willing to negotiate changes to the political clause.
“Opo. Ngayon kasi ang number one concern ng taumbayan ay ekonomiya. Lahat ng tao tanungin mo ang gusto trabaho, magandang sweldo, maayos sila. Pero syempre po ‘pag nag-public hearing, maririnig mo na rin ang nasa malayong lugar,” Padilla replied.
(Yes. As of now, the number one concern of the people is the economy. Ask all the people what they want and they will say jobs, good salary, good welfare. But, if we hold a public hearing, you will also hear the sentiments of those in far-flung areas.)
The neophyte senator said that he received information that the public wants changes in the form of government and term extension.
“Tingnan natin kung totoo talaga. Kasi ang sabi po ng Kongreso, ng mababang kapulungan kaya po nila isinusulong ang con-con (constitutional convention) dahil naggawa sila ng public hearing at hinihingi ng tao ang con-con. Hinihingi ng taumbayan na magkaroon ng pagbabago sa porma ng gobyerno, sa term extension,” he said.
(Let us see if it is true. The lower chamber said that they are pushing for a con-con because people are asking for it during a public hearing. The public is asking for changes in the form of government and term extension.)
Padilla said that the Senate will likewise hold a public hearing on Cha-cha and not just rely on the House of Representatives’ public hearing.
The actor-turned-senator previously explained that the Philippines “must amend its Constitution by removing these restrictive economic provisions to allow foreign businesses to directly invest in a more conducive landscape.”
Some of his colleagues in the upper chamber, however, said that the move is not timely.
