Charter change divisive, will divert focus from real problems – Lagman

Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — The heavy emphasis on amending the Constitution would only lead to divisiveness and divert efforts from real problems “not attributable to the Constitution,” warned Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Monday.

“The cha-cha [charter change move] is out of tune because the president and the Congress must address the crippling crisis in the economy, agriculture, food security, education, fiscal deficit, debt burden, and China’s continuing aggression in the West Philippine Sea, the vast and rich territorial waters of which have been awarded in favor of the Philippines in 2016 by the International Arbitral Tribunal,” Lagman said.

“The charter change initiatives will divide and obfuscate the people and divert the efforts of the political departments from the real problems not attributable to the Constitution,” he added.

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Lagman acknowledged two specific efforts to amend the Constitution: one from the House of Representatives proposing a people’s initiative with a joint voting procedure in a constituent assembly, and another from the Senate proposing amendments with separate voting by the House and the Senate.

However, Lagman predicted that it would merely end in a compromise in which the country’s economy would be exposed to “alien investments,” with both chambers expediting the approval of constitutional amendments, even if they were to vote separately.

“The victim will be the nation’s patrimony when sensitive enterprises like public service, education, media and advertisement will be open to alien control and domination,” Lagman said.