THE PHILIPPINE STAR

neuts { WeoNEsoav I JULY lo,2ol9

back to the same
are simplv-which
is to clarifY
S ep-at o r s- R'";1"i."T+T#['"tfr:'ii:;
ouestion,
the ambizuitY of the Provision

still cool Uil*:TfiJiI;H:1*Tt

in the Co'nstitution that deals
with the marmer of voting bY
Consress constituting itself
to n oliti c sl zi:::!'i?;::x.H.ffi : into "a constituent assembly,"
Lacson said.

Cha-cha lr;;#t'w#[tti "AgairL in doing so, we are

facedi,rdth a chicken and egg
situation: If it's via concom
By PAOLO RoMERO is still in office.
It was not clear whY (constitutional commission),
enough time to
do we have
President Duterte's re- Duterte made the
request
earlier said accomplish ii before the end
newed push for the House as Malacariang given uP on of his t'erm?" he said.
he had aheadY
of ReDresentatives to amend
the p6litical provisions of the federalism 'Moist eYe'
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Senate MinoritY Leader
Constitution may hit a stone
who held hearings on various Franklin Drilon saih the fate
wall in the Senate, especially of Charter change would be
as some senators may be eye- Cha-cha proPosals to imPle-
ing a run for president or vice ment federalism.as chairman significantly aff;cted bY ihe
president in 2022. of the constitutional amend- 2012 pre,sidential election.
said the The next Presidential election
Senators said they still ments committee,hdld swaY
majority bloc wodld may still be three Years awaY,
want to find pui exacily what
brrithis earlv Drilon could serse
Duterte wants amended in on the matter.
the Constitution even as they "We will see how it goes some of hii co eagues alrcady
qiven the new comPosition of casting a "moist eYe" on the
have repeatedly expressed
wiilingness to touch only the ihe Senate," Pangilinan
said, oresidency, saYing it will be tlle
i'biggest fictoi" in their vote on
economic provisions in the addins it remains to be seen
Charter. if he #lI continue to chair the Cha-cha.
"If not for federalism, what constitutional amendments "It is difficult to Predict
needs to be changed in the committee when
the 18th CorF ai this iime how the sena-
tr987 Consiitution? This we - gress opens on JulY 22. tors will vote, considering
need to know," Sen. Aquilino Sen. Panfilo Lacson was the new composition of the
skeptical about the ProsPects Senate. But what is becom-
Pimentel III said referring to
Dutertds "federal or whatnot" of tha-cha in
the 18th Con- ing clear is the PresidencY in
has changed 2022 will PlaY a huge role m
remarks in urging his allies in sress as nothing
the House to work on Charter i"n the situationiincluding the how our cblleagues will treat
fact that the Senate will never this renewed c;ll for Charter
change (Cha-cha) in the 18th
agree to a joint voting with thg change and decide on their
Congress.
vote.t Drilon said.
Pimentel is president of House in aPProvrng ProPoseo He believes the Senate will
PDP-Laban, which has long amendments.
"It's a little more comPli- maintain its indePendence in
been pushing for a shift in the
cdted than what the President handling what he describes as
countqr's presentform bf gov- a divisive issue.
emment to a federal svstem. and the House want. WhY? We
Duterte on Mondiy night gr.e=- 1--