The incoming Senate president of the 17th Congress, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, said on Thursday he preferred a constitutional convention as the mode of amending the country’s charter to push for a federal form of government.
Federalism has been an advocacy of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and his political party, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan. He has vowed to bring more development into the countryside in a federal system, which guarantees that more resources are freed up once a change in government is approved.
Pimentel, in a phone interview, said he was also amenable to the idea of giving a proposed constitutional convention a one year deadline to complete the task of suggesting changes to the charter.
“There will be a campaign for the con-con delegates. Therefore, the substance of the campaign is all about the constitution—the form of government, presidential versus parliamentarian, and the system of government, whether unitary versus federal,” Pimentel said.
Pimentel, who plans to begin the Senate deliberations on the proposed charter change early in the next Congress, said he would let his colleagues decide whether they want a constitutional convention or a constituent assembly to amend the fundamental law of the land.
People’s knowledge
Personally, he said, he favored constitutional convention, where elected delegates would be tasked with proposing the changes.
Even with the drawbacks—a constitutional convention being more costly and time consuming—Pimentel said he believes it would be better for the people because they would know what they would be getting.
Senate President Franklin Drilon, who will join the Senate majority next Congress, also said he favored a constitutional convention, but stressed the debates should be limited.