A ranking House member is prodding the 19th Congress to assemble a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) by December 2023 at the earliest in a bid to introduce economic and political reforms to the existing 1987 Constitution.
National Unity Party (NUP) President, Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte filed House Bill (HB) No. 4926, also known as the “Constitutional Convention Act”.
He said the bill will rid the Charter of its perceived “antiquated or inapt provisions" that have long prevented the Philippines from "regaining its postwar stature as an Asian powerhouse next only to Japan".
Under the measure, Villafuerte proposed that the members of the would-be Con-Con be elected during the next nationwide balloting, which is either the one to be re-scheduled for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls or the midterm elections for legislators and local executives due three years from now.
The next village and youth elections were originally set on Dec. 5 this year, but the leadership of both the Senate and the House of Representatives agreed in a recent caucus to pass before this month's end the priority bill postponing these polls possibly on Dec. 4, 2023.
Meanwhile, the midterm elections is set on May 12, 2025.
Villafuerte, majority leader of the House contingent to the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA), argued that of the three options allowed for Charter Change (Chacha) under the 1987 Constitution, the “most transparent and trustworthy” manner of introducing proposed reforms is through the election of delegates to a Con-Con, in lieu of the Congress convening itself into a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) or directly by the people themselves through the “People’s Initiative".
“The Con-Ass route is not likely to get from Point A to Point B, given that this available process for Charter Change is likely to be sidetracked by the expectedly protracted national debate on whether the 1987 Constitution actually requires senators and House members to vote separately or jointly on proposed constitutional amendments and/or revisions,” Villafuerte said, citing past discussions on Chacha.
“The clamor for Charter Change has always been relevant...However, calls for genuine constitutional reforms have taken a backseat because of perceived controversies and allegations of corruption in previous administrations," the Bicolano said in justifying his measure.
“Filipinos, meanwhile, take severe punishment from corruption, high prices, inequitable distribution of income, and a lopsided playing field when it comes to foreign investments...Thus, while it is a given that the present Charter needs to go through the process of revision, this should be done with much deliberation and in a transparent and trustworthy atmosphere," he added.
He said that in the realm of economic reforms, for instance, “The Philippines has won international investment-grade ratings and acclaimed as a rising economic star in recent years, but such accolades have not attracted the impressive level of foreign direct investments (FDIs) going to, say, Vietnam or Thailand, because of the restrictive constitutional provisions that limit foreigners to a maximum 40 percent participation in certain local businesses that are attractive to foreign investors.”
Villafuerte cited the importance of completing constitutional reforms through “a transparent process that ensures the participation by the nation at large. In keeping with the sovereign mandate of the people, the new Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines should be truly reflective of the ideals and aspirations of the Filipino nation, and not of a select few.”
His proposed Con-Con shall be composed of one delegate from every legislative district nationwide. There are currently 243 congressional districts across the country.