Romualdez mulling revisiting Cha-cha for economic provision amendments

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez hopes the House of Representatives can revisit the issue of charter change in 2024 to amend the supposedly restrictive economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution.

In a speech on Tuesday, Romualdez said that he made mention of two resolutions passed by the chamber early this year, both of which call for a constitutional convention as a mode of amending the constitution.

“I was at the economic briefing in Iloilo City yesterday and I made references to twin resolutions that we passed earlier this year which was the calling for a constitutional convention for the purpose of amending the constitution. I’ve also prefaced this message today by saying that we’ve done all or accomplished all our priority legislation,” he said.

“I believe 2024 will allow us again to revisit the issue of the constitution because I think it’s timely that we really visit, we’d like to focus very much on the economic provisions. But even to get there we have to look at the procedural aspects of the amendment of the constitution so we have to tackle that and of course to make sure that the economic provisions are backed up,” he added.

When asked by reporters to clarify the Speaker’s statements, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. said that they will try to resume discussions by early 2024, but the mode that would be used may be different now.

Gonzales explained that they are still unsure if they will go for a constitutional convention (con-con), constituent assembly (con-ass), or a people’s initiative (PI).

“I think kung in coordination with other congressperson and the Upper House, I think we can get the target, I think before Sona (State of the Nation Address) if ever.  I don’t know, I don’t know, we’ll try,” Gonzales said.

“That is part of the mode that we are going to tackle, what mode, if that is a con-con again, a con-ass, or PI, and we have three modes here.  So I think we have to start early next year, so wait na lang po tayo kung ano ang isa-start natin,” he added.

However, Gonzales said that they may file a new proposal or use existing ones.

“I think we will file a new one or we will use my RBH, or resolution as a benchmark,” Gonzales, representative of Pampanga’s 3rd District, said.

On June 30, 2022, Gonzales filed Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 1, seeking to convene the 19th Congress into a constituent assembly in proposing changes to the term lengths and reelection eligibility.

Then last March 6, the House adopted Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 calling on Congress to use a constitutional convention in pursuing charter change, where voters would be asked to elect the delegates.  A House Bill that would implement RBH No. 6 was passed a week after that.

Under the House-proposed hybrid constitutional convention, an election would be held to form the delegation, with some of the members being appointed by the House Speaker and Senate President to balance the possibility of political clans winning in the polls.

But if a constituent assembly is adopted, it would mean that incumbent lawmakers would sit as the delegates tasked with changing parts of the constitution.  While this would be less costly, there are discussions as to whether the Senate and the House should vote separately, since there are only 24 senators compared to over 300 House members.

However, such discussions did not prosper as the House had to shift its focus towards the proposed 2024 national budget and the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council priority bills.

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