Lagman: I voted against House-proposed federal Charter

Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman during the press briefing at the House of Representatives. Noy Morcoso/Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines — Albay 1st Dist. Rep. Edcel Lagman has accused Leyte 3rd Dist. Rep. Vicente Veloso of lying, as he denied voting to remove provisions on term limits and political dynasties in the proposed federal Charter of the House of Representatives.

Lagman clarified Friday he voted against Resolution of Both Houses No. 15 (RBH 15), which seeks to amend the 1987 Constitution and change the nation’s prevailing unitary system of government to federal form.

Lagman further said he was not even a member of the House committee on constitutional amendments chaired by Veloso.

Lagman, in a statement on Friday said: “Rep. Vicente Veloso was lying when he told ABS-CBN’s Early Edition yesterday that I voted for the lifting of term limits and the ban on political dynasties.”

“I am not a member of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments and I voted on third reading against Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 15 on the House charter change proposal,” Lagman also pointed out.

“This is on record and I also explained my negative vote,” he added.

Veloso, during the television interview, said Lagman and Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano voted to lift term limits and remove the anti-political dynasty provision in RBH 15.

“I have no problem with term limits. I have no problem with anti-dynasty. I defeated a dynasty But at the committee level, unanimously, they voted for the lifting of term limits citing 1935 Constitution, citing 1973 Constitution,” Veloso said.

“I was thinking at the plenary, this matter would be raised by Congressmen Lagman and Alejano. The two of them also voted for the lifting of term limits, what can I do?” he also claimed.

But opposition lawmakers and members of the minority bloc have branded RBH 15 as a self-serving Charter for politicians who would want to stay in power.

RBH 15 even initially removed the vice president from the line of succession, earning broad criticisms, as its approval was also marred with allegations of being railroaded by allies of Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, principal author of the draft federal Charter.

RBH 15 also remains controversial as critics slammed the absence of anti-dynasty provisions while term limits of congressmen were lifted in the proposal. /kga