Tolentino: Too early to talk about proposed term extension; Cha-cha up to majority

Senator Francis Tolentino on Friday said it is still too early to discuss proposals to extend the terms of elected officials but any talks on amending the 1987 Constitution will be up to the Senate majority bloc.

"Napakaaga naman po siguro [para] pag-usapan kaagad 'yan [Maybe it's too early to talk about that]," Tolentino said in an interview on Unang Balita about proposals on extending the terms of officials under the Constitution.

Although several senators have expressed different opinions regarding Charter amendments as priority in the Senate, Tolentino said the fate of these proposals will be determined by the majority after the opening of the 19th Congress.

"Alam niyo po ang magde-desisyon niyan eh siguro kung ano 'yung kaisipan ng mayorya. So hintayin na lang po natin ang pagbubukas ng Kongreso," Tolentino said.

(It will be up to the majority's decision. So we should wait for the opening of Congress.)

In an interview last Wednesday, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who is poised to become the next Senate president, said amending the 1987 Constitution, particularly the extension of terms of elected officials, will not be the priority of the upper chamber in the 19th Congress.

In a separate interview with Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the lawmaker said timing is very important in amending the 1987 Constitution, and the government must know its priorities given the current oil supply situation and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa said he is "very open" to measures that seek to  amend the 1987 Constitution, particularly the economic provisions, but he has yet to decide on the proposal to extend the term of the president.

On the other hand, Tolentino said the Senate and the House of Representatives should be "responsive" to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s legislative priorities, especially those that will help revive the country's economy, when he enumerates these on his first State of the Nation Address on July 25.

"Siguro po kung ano ang magiging priority legislative measures ni Pangulong Marcos, lalong-lalo na sa pagpapasigla ng ating ekonomiya, siguro dapat naman po maging responsive ang Kongreso, ang Senado," he said.

(The Congress as well as the Senate should be responsive to President Marcos' priority legislative measures especially to the bills that will revive our economy.)

"Siguro don na rin po 'yung paglalatag ng kanyang economic roadmap na dapat ma-translate into legislation," he added.

(We are expecting the president to lay down his economic roadmap which the Congress should translate into legislation.) —KBK, GMA News