Push for Cha-cha not hopeless-- Cayetano
The push for Charter change is not hopeless despite the threat of COVID-19, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Friday.
Cayetano said that through regular legislative action, Congress can “take the country closer to a federal system.”
He explained that an amendment in the Local Government Code can be pursued in order for local government units to get a bigger share of the national budget.
“The problem with Cha-cha (Charter change) is really the timing,” House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said.
“I cannot see us calling for a plebiscite. We’re telling the people to stay home, don’t congregate, so how do we make them go to the polling precincts when we know that people naturally form crowds during elections in our country?” he said.
Cayetano explained: “We can actually revise the Internal Revenue Allotment Code and many other portions of the Local Government Code to bring us closer to economic federalism.”
The controversy over Cha-cha bid in Congress surfaced anew when the League of Municipalities of the Philippines passed a resolution urging Congress to start the revision process.
The LMP headed by Narvacan, Ilocos Sur Mayor Luis “Chavit” Singson, wants the so-called "Mandanas Ruling" enshrined in the Constitution, thus, the need to amend it.
The Mandanas Ruling, named after Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas who filed the petition challenging the definition made by the national government, gives LGUs more internal revenue allotments or share of national taxes by expanding the definition of “internal revenues” to include not only collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) but other national imposts as well, like Customs duties.
Responding to the appeal of mayors, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, vowed to immediately convene the panel to continue the process of amendment.
Cayetano reiterated that amending the Constitution is not a priority of the House, which he said is focused on measures to save lives and livelihoods amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, he said he would not stop the committee of Rodriguez from tackling Cha-cha proposals.
“So if we can solve COVID-19 by next month and we’re up on our feet next January, February, then we can talk about Cha-cha,” he said.