Drilon on Cha-cha: No one will be in the dark

Senate President Pro-tempore Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Senate President Pro-tempore Franklin Drilon said on Sunday that the public hearings for the revision or amendment of the 1987 Constitution will be “inclusive” and “transparent.”

Drilon, chair of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, said the first public hearing would be on Sept. 6.

“As its chairman, I guarantee that all views and opinions will be heard and taken into consideration, and that no one will be left in the dark,” Drilon said in a statement.

“We will be consultative. We will try to cover as many sectors as possible,” he added.

The senator said that the committee should first resolve whether there was a need to revise the Constitution.

Citing the results of a Pulse Asia survey in July which showed 44 percent of Filipinos opposing amending the Constitution and 37 percent approving it, Drilon emphasized the need for Filipinos to be informed about Charter change (Cha-cha).

“We need to inform and educate our countrymen on Charter change. The people should be involved and must fully understand how this proposed constitutional reform will affect their lives in the years to come.”

“At the end of the day, it is our people who will ultimately decide whether to ratify or not the proposed changes to the Constitution,” Drilon said.

The senator said the committee would invite representatives from various sectors such as the business community, labor, academe, civil society, sectoral and religious groups, as well as constitutional and legal experts and former Supreme Court justices during the initial public hearing.

He also eyes holding public hearings on Cha-cha in cities outside Metro Manila such as Baguio, Cebu, and Davao.

Drilon authored Resolution of Both Houses No. 1 calling for a constitutional convention to amend the Charter./rga

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