Pimentel: Ban incumbent politicians’ close kin from con-con

True representation of the people in a constitutional convention may be possible if close relatives of incumbent politicians will be disqualified from running as delegates, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said Monday.

“The con-con possibly may represent the people if we put some disqualifications there for relatives of incumbent politicians from running,” said Pimentel, assuming con-con would be the way lawmakers would amend the 1987 Constitution.

The senator noted that there was no explicit provision against the election of close relatives as delegates in the House-approved resolution seeking to amend the 1987 Constitution via con-con.

“Unfortunately, it’s not clear in their version if they want to disqualify the membership in their con-con their relatives. Di pa naman final ‘yon. Let’s assume na yun po ang mananaig na procedure in amending the constitution or revising the constitution, we have to make sure, we have to put that, that close relatives - we just define what are close relatives- close relatives of the legislators, lahat kami, should be disqualified from running as con-con delegate,” he said.

(Unfortunately, it’s not clear in their version if they want to disqualify the membership in their con-con their relatives. Though that's not final. Let’s assume that that procedure in amending the constitution or revising the constitution would prevail, we have to make sure, we have to put that, that close relatives - we just define what are close relatives- close relatives of the legislators, all of us, should be disqualified from running as con-con delegates.)

Practical

But if they would be “forced to choose” the mode to amend the constitution, Pimentel said he preferred a constituent assembly.

“If we choose the con-con mode look at the expense, the campaign, the election, and then the time that will be necessary for them to organize…They will have to look for their office, their convention center, hire their people after [being] elected so siguro we will lose one year and a half,” the senator said.

“I would go with constituent assembly as a mode to change the constitution—whether amend or revise… If we want to be practical about it, we can go for the constituent assembly mode,” he added.

Further, Pimentel also disliked the idea of creating a con-con with elected and appointed delegates.

“They have made it also more complicated because con-con, for me, is supposed to be representatives of the people who the people determine through elections. Pag hybrid, you again complicate the topic, [because] they are appointed. So the appointed [delegates] can represent vested interests. So that’s a problem,” he said.

“If they want con-con they have to simplify the rules. It should be a purely-elected con-con and then we have to disqualify our close relatives from running or being members or delegates to the con-con,” he added.

Rider provision

Pimentel also questioned what he called a “rider provision” on land ownership.

“Although they call it economic provisions, there is one rider that it’s not necessarily connected to economic provisions. They want to open up land ownership to foreigners. Why is it there? Bakit nasisingit yang land ownership na iyan?” Pimentel asked.

(Why was land ownership sneaked in.)

The minority leader said this would “result in more opposition to the call for Cha-cha right now.”

Pimentel reiterated that he was in favor of charter change being a member of PDP-Laban - which is pushing for a federal form of government- but not right now considering the “domestic problems” that Filipinos were facing.

“Our people are facing very challenging times.Mahirap po ang buhay ngayon. We have domestic problems and if you look at the world, the world has gotten so complicated not only in trading or economic matters, but also in the politics of the world, itong tinatawag na geopolitical issues. This will eat up our time. This will refocus our attention,” he said.

While a majority of the members of the House of Representatives are actively pushing for amendments to the 1987 Constitution, several members of the Senate are lukewarm about it. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri earlier said it was not a priority of the chamber. — DVM, GMA Integrated News