PDP-Laban backs bid to amend economic provisions of 1987 Constitution

PDP-Laban Secretary General Melvin Matibag. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) will support efforts to amend or revise the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

PDP-Laban Secretary General Melvin Matibag said the political party decided to declare support for the move to reform the constitution after its national officers that include Senators Robinhood Padilla, Francis Tolentino, and Ronald dela Rosa convened Tuesday.

“We will support the move for Charter change (Cha-cha), specifically [on the] economic provisions,” he told INQUIRER.net in a text message.

He said details of PDP-Laban’s support regarding whether Cha-cha should be done through constitutional convention (con-con) or constitutional assembly (con-ass) will be released Thursday after party chairman and former President Rodrigo Duterte signs the resolution.

At a Senate hearing on Monday, Matibag said PDP-Laban will defer to Congress on the mode of amending the 1987 Constitution.

But he said a con-con would be a “good alternative” so as not to hamper the lawmaking obligations of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Matibag also argued that “it is but proper that the people directly choose who will represent them to change the Constitution.”

But this is different from the mode being pushed by Padilla, the prime Cha-cha mover in the upper chamber, who is seeking to loosen the restrictive economic provisions in the decades-old constitution through con-ass.

READ: Padilla finds it hard to accept senators not being open to Cha-cha: ‘Nag-file kayo niyan’

Padilla, head of the Senate panel on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, had earlier said mustering support from PDP-Laban members on the push for constitutional changes should be “automatic.”

He also threatened to resign from the party and go independent should PDP-Laban refuse to stand behind his Cha-cha crusade.

READ: Padilla warns of splitting with PDP-Laban if party rejects Cha-cha bid backing

On March 14, the House of Representatives approved the bill that seeks to implement the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 that calls for the establishment of con-con to amend or revise the Charter.

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