House committee to vote on Cha-cha proposals from inter-agency panel

The House Committee on Constitutional Amendments was set to vote on several Charter change proposals on Wednesday-February 19, Cagayan de Oro City Second District Representative and House Constitutional Amendments panel Chair Rufus Rodriguez said Tuesday.

Rodriguez noted that his panel would give weight on the recommendations of the inter-agency panel for constitutional amendments, which included: 

• electing senators for each of the 17 would be regions,
• granting a five-year fixed term of office for local officials and House members,
• lifting restrictions on foreign ownership,
• anti-dynasty and turncoats provisions,
• creation of regional authorities,
• increased allocation for local government units, and
• state subsidies for political parties, among others.

“We will decide which recommendations of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Constitutional Reform will make it to our report to Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and the plenary,” Rodriguez said in a statement.

The inter-agency task force was chaired by Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año with Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra as vice-chairman.

The Duterte administration had envisioned a federal form of government in which the country will be divided into at least 17 regions, with each region being financed by its respective tax and fees collections; a share in top revenue sources; an equalization fund; the national budget; and a share from income sourced from natural resources.

Under Section 1, Article 17 of the 1987 Constitution, any amendment to, or revision of, this Constitution may be proposed by the Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members, or a constitutional convention.

Section 2 of Article 17 of the 1987 Constitution, on the other hand, stated that Congress, by a vote of two-thirds of all its members, could call a constitutional convention, or by a majority vote of all its members, submit to the electorate the question of calling such a convention.

Any amendment to, or revision of the Constitution under Section 1 would be valid when ratified by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite held not earlier than 60 days nor later than 90 days after the approval of such amendment or revision.

Any amendment under Section 2, on the other hand, would be valid when ratified by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite which should be held not earlier than 60 days nor later than 90 days after the certification by the Commission on Elections of the sufficiency of the petition.

The Constitution, however, was not explicit on whether members of the House or the Senate should vote separately. — DVM, GMA News