Senators doubt House draft federal charter will prosper in Senate

Senators across party lines on Monday expressed doubt that the draft federal charter authored by Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other lawmakers that skips over Vice President Leni Robredo as President Rodrigo Duterte's successor during the transition period will advance in the chamber.

Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the proposal will be "dead on arrival."

“We will refer it, should we receive the proposal, to the committee on constitutional amendments, where it will, because of lack of merit, be dead on arrival or die a natural death,” he said in a text message to GMA News Online.

In a separate text message, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said he does not "think much of" the draft federal charter.

“That’s not going to move in the Senate,” he said.

Liberal Party president Francis Pangilinan denounced the proposed charter and said it should be opposed.

“This brazen attempt at doing away with the obstacles to their grip on power is appalling,” he said.

He also said that it will not move in the Senate.

“I doubt it. I also doubt very much if charter change will be tackled on the Senate floor between now and the elections,” he said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, for his part, believes that Senate President Vicente Sotto III would not fall for the proposal that he should be Duterte's successor, calling it  "bait."

"Senate President Sotto is too smart not to see through the bait being dangled by Speaker Arroyo and her close allies in the [House of Representatives],” he said.

The House committee on constitutional amendments' draft federal charter states that in case a vacancy arises by reason of removal, resignation, permanent incapacity, or death of the incumbent President, the incumbent Senate President shall as act as President until a President shall have been chosen and qualified.

House panel chair Vicente "Ching" Veloso said that the panel's decision to bypass Robredo has mainly to do with the ongoing poll protest lodged against her by defeated rival Bongbong Marcos. — BM, GMA News