Pangilinan: Checks and balances to continue amid calls for Cha-cha

Sen. Francis Pangilinan (Photo from his Facebook page)

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Sunday vowed to intensify the opposition’s push for checks and balances in the midst of calls for a revision of the Constitution by some leaders of the Congress.

“Tuloy pa rin syempre ang check and balance; gusto ko lang liwanagin na hindi porke kami ay opposition puro kontra; parang sasakyan — meron accelerator meron preno (The checks and balances will continue; I just want to clarify that just because we are the opposition, we’ll always oppose; just like a car – it has an accelerator and a break) — so if we are opposing that’s because that is democracy,” Pangilinan, an opposition senator and president of the Liberal Party (LP) said over a dzBB interview.

“Kaya tayo may three branches — tatlong sangay para binabantayan ang bawat sangay; in other words binabantayan ang check and balance so that’s our duty. Di dahil kami ay kontra kami ay sagabal, destab na hindi po kapakanan ng ating taumbayan ang ating itinutulak,” he added.

(That’s why we have three branches to guard each branch; in other words, guarding the checks and balances, so that’s our duty. Just because we are against it doesn’t mean we’re a hindrance or destabilizing that we aren’t pushing for the welfare of the people.)

Pangilinan, chairperson of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, also promised to prevent any “railroading” and “unnecessary delay” in the upcoming Senate committee hearing on the proposed revision of the 1987 Constitution.

“Gusto natin tiyakin liwanagin at i-clarify hindi natin papayagan na magkaroon ng railroading, ‘di natin papayagan na magkaroon ng pwersahan at unnecessary delay basta tayo transparent,” the senator said.

(We want to clarify that we won’t allow railroading, we won’t allow any force and unnecessary delay, just as long as we are transparent.)

“Lahat ng boses pabor at kontra na maaari natin i-accommodate, ia-accomodate natin, di natin papayagan na ito ang gusto ng isang grupo ay ‘yan ang mangyayari, gagawin natin ang maayos na sistema. ‘Di natin tinatalakay ang interes ng isang partido kundi para sa bayan,” he added.

(All voices whether in favor or against that can be accommodated will be accommodated, we won’t allow just one group’s wishes to be followed; we will make a proper system. We won’t discuss the interest of one party but we will discuss the interest of the country.)

Pangilinan’s panel has scheduled a hearing on Wednesday, January 17, on the proposed measures to amend the Constitution.

READ: Bills on revising Constitution up for discussion again in Senate

In the past weeks, stalwarts of the ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), announced that they would urge Congress to convene in a constituent assembly (con-ass) to push for Charter change, which could possibly pave the way for a shift to a federal form of government.

The political party has been vocal in advocating federalism even during President Rodrigo Duterte’s election campaign in 2016. /je