Pimentel blasts ‘nonsense’ about no-el, term extensions

The possibility of a no-election (no-el) scenario and a consequent term extension of government officials being floated by some Congress leaders are “nonsense,” former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. said on Wednesday.

Earlier, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez brought up the no-el scenario and a holdover capacity of current elected officials.

Reacting to this, Pimentel said: “How can anyone justify setting aside the exercise of the fundamental rights of our people through the electoral process that is guaranteed by the Constitution without revising the Constitution first?”

“Let us not say that, sige let us adapt the federal system, no election muna, oh my goodness. I mean as I’ve tried to say it for you, the end does not justify the means,” he stressed.

“Hindi pupwede na sabihin mo ‘yon just to achieve a supposedly good purpose. Otherwise even the good intention will be submerged in a mess, in a lot of nonsense, being advocated these days,” he added.

While Pimentel pointed out that Charter change is needed for a shift to a federal form of government, he urged Filipinos to speak out their positions and thoughts now, and to not let their freedoms be set aside despite supporting federalism.

“What I’m trying to say, while we are still free, speak out. We might as well do it now,” he said.

“Let us not set aside those freedoms all because we want to adapt the federal system,” he added.

The joint Senate hearing into the proposed Charter change tackles the resolutions on the proposed amendment of the 1987 Constitution. /cbb