Pimentel confident Pinoys would change mind on Charter change

Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Senate President Aqulino “Koko” Pimentel III was unfazed by the latest Pulse Asia survey showing that 44 percent of Filipinos were against the proposed Charter change (Cha-Cha), saying he was hopeful that the majority would still change their minds once the issue was fully discussed publicly.

“E ok lang yun, kung 44 (percent)…that means, we have a possibility na may 56 (percent) tayo na pwede nating i-swing (That’s okay if 44 percent [of Filipinos were against it], that means, we have a possibility that we can swing the remaining 56 (percent)),” Pimentel told reporters on Monday.

“Anyway, hindi pa kasi naman fully discussed…As long as yan na po ang issue of the day, marami na pong mako-convince (Anyway, it is not yet fully discussed. As long as it is the issue of the day, I could convince a lot of people),” he said.

The survey conducted from July 2 to 8 showed that 44 percent of the 1,200 respondents believe that the Constitution “should not be amended for now” while 37 percent said it should be amended now and 19 percent remain undecided.

READ: 44% of Filipinos do not want Charter change—Pulse Asia

“We can convert the 56 percent to support Cha-Cha. I’m hopeful na pagdating na po ng panahon na yan na ang pinag uusapan (that when the time comes to discuss it), people can be converted,” Pimentel said.

The Senate leader said he expects a debate on the mode of amending the 1987 Constitution—whether it should be done through a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) or a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con).

While President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed preference for Con-Ass, Pimentel said the decision on what method to use remains with Congress.

READ: It’s Con-ass, not Con-con

If both the Senate and the House of Representatives agree on Con-Ass, then the next question, he said, would be whether or not the chambers should vote jointly or separately on the proposed amendments to the Charter.

“If it’s Con-Ass, the interpretation of the Senate is three-fourths vote of all the members of the Senate and the House voting separately,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III believes that Cha-Cha has a chance if the voting would be done separately.

“Hindi pwedeng mag-railroad ang isang House (A chamber of the House should not railroad),” Sotto said in a separate interview.

While he was not “violently” against any constitutional amendments, Sotto said he had reservations as he believes in the Americans’ saying that “If ain’t broke, why fix it?”

“Meron akong thinking na ganun kaya hindi ako (I have that thinking that’s why I’m not) 100 percent in favor of any Charter change pero kung sa tingin ng Presidente, ng karamihan ng mga kababayan natin (but if the President and majority of our countrymen believe) there must be, then I will not be against it . Kaya lang dapat tama ang pamamaraan (However, the method should be appropriate),” he said. RAM/rga