House leaders: Snap polls impossible without amending Charter

House leaders on Monday maintained that a snap election – as proposed by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano due to loss of trust in the country’s leaders – is only possible if the 1987 Constitution is amended to it.

This was the position of House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan and House Deputy Majority Leader Bong Teves of TGP party-list after Cayetano suggested that lawmakers from both chambers of Congress, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte resign to allow the conduct of a snap election.

Cayetano’s proposal – which would exclude the aforementioned officials from running – is needed amid the public’s loss of trust in public officials and corruption in flood control and infrastructure projects.

 Asked if Cayetano’s position is legal given that such conditions for holding a snap election are not provided in the 1987 Constitution, Libanan simply said that “it is not in the Constitution.”

“Ang constitutional convention or constituent assembly o kaya people’s initiative, ‘yun ang nasa Constitution. Pwede tayo magbago ng Constitution, at base sa magiging bagong Constitution, ‘yun ang sundin natin sa pag-e-elect ng ating mga opisyales,” Libanan said, referring to the modes of amending the Charter.

(What is in the Constitution is a constitutional convention, constituent assembly, or people’s initiative. “We can change the Constitution and we can use the new Constitution as basis in electing our officials.)

Libanan then floated the possibility of amending the Charter to introduce “genuine electoral reforms” that the Philippines needs.

“Ito na siguro ang tamang panahon para tumawag tayo ng constitutional convention or constituent assembly para baguhin ang ating konstitusyon dahil nakikita po natin may mga bagay na kailangan baguhin. At hindi lang ito eleksyon, pero kasama na rito ang genuine electoral reforms na kinakailangan ng ating bansa. Iyong campaign spending, ginagastos ng mga pulitiko, kailangan po dun siguro tayo, kumbaga sa computer, mag-reboot na tayo. Simulan natin nang tama,” he said.

(This might be the right time to call for a constitutional convention or constituent assembly to amend our Constitution because there are things that we need to change. It’s not just about elections, but genuine electoral reforms that the country needs, like on campaign spending of politicians. We need a reboot and start things on the right foot.)

Earlier, the Commission on Elections said it cannot hold snap elections without a law allowing it.

Comelec chair George Erwin Garcia said there is no provision for snap elections under the country’s laws and the 1987 Constitution.

Teves, for his part, reminded his colleagues that awmakers should not be lawbreakers because public office is a public trust and that they should show Filipinos that they are worthy of their votes.

He agreed with Libanan that snap elections are not provided for under the law and that amendments should be made first.

For now, Libanan stressed that regaining Filipinos’ trust should begin with passing a national budget that is responsive to the people’s needs.

“Sa atin namang mga mambabatas, magtrabaho lalo na sa budget, mapunta sa tama na kinakailangan ng mga tao, at maging responsive ang budget na ito sa pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan," he said.

(We lawmakers should work to craft the budget and ensure that it is spent right and responds to our countrymen's needs.) — JMA, GMA Integrated News