The House Committee on Constitutional Amendments chairman is pushing for Charter Change (Chacha) in the current 19th Congress through Constitutional Convention (Con-Con).
Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez filed House Joint Resolution (HJR) No. 12 in a bid to amend certain economic provisions in the existing 1987 Constitution.
The measure was read on the House plenary floor for the first time during the session Monday afternoon, Nov. 14.
Rodriguez, one of the legal luminaries in the House, said in his measure that "such constitutional reform has been identified by reputable business and economic groups as one of the key policy instruments that needs to implemented, and is now long overdue".
Meanwhile, regarding proposed political reforms, these "may now be required to be incorporated in our Constitution", said the former deputy speaker.
"The calling for a Constitutional Convention to propose amendments to the Constitution to be composed of elected delegates from all regions of the country would be the most democratic and least divisive among the three modes of amending the Constitution," HJR No.12 further read.
The measure proposes that the election for the Con-Con delegates take place on the last Sunday of October 2023--coinciding with the recently-postponed barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
It also indicates that the elected delegates of the Con-Con would convene in a session at 10 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2024. The session will be led by the House Speaker and Senate President.