Duterte: I’ll close Congress if solons fool people in Cha-cha efforts

President Rodrigo Duterte said he will close Congress if lawmakers will fool the people in pushing for their own interests in amending provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

“Mamili kayo. Totoo. You do it properly, do not… Huwag mong lokohin ang tao. 'Pag pinilit ninyo ‘yan, sarado ko kayong lahat,” Duterte said during the courtesy call of the Pastoral Parish Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) Wednesday night.

“Matakot man ‘yan. Ihalo ko kayo doon sa mga adik,” he then quipped.

But Duterte was quick to defend legislators amid fears that they will push for their personal interests once Congress is convened as a con-ass.

“We should not be too judgmental about the members of Congress. Kasi ito sila, you can tell by the track records that they have,” he said.

“Ito naman have been elected, reelected, reelected, nagpahinga lang, reelected, reelected. If ang acceptability nila sa tao ganun, so who are we to judge that they are not competent?” Duterte, a former mayor and congressman, added.

Duterte vowed that he will be the “last one to agree to anything that would destroy the country.”

Duterte earlier said he would not allow Congress to come up with a “bullshit” Constitution after agreeing to pursue Charter change (Cha-cha) through a constituent assembly (con-ass).

Con-ass and constitutional convention (con-con) are two out of only three modes of changing the Constitution. The third alternative is a "People's Initiative."

In a con-ass, members of Congress are convened to amend the Constitution. In a con-con, the people who will amend the Charter will be elected by the people. — RSJ, GMA News