Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon is calling on Congress to also amend the political provisions—including increasing the number of senators to 48 and switching to a parliamentary form of government—of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
 

(Photo courtesy of Secretary Larry Gadon) 

In a letter dated April 1 and addressed to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the official urged both leaders to include amendments to the political provisions of the Constitution because it “could lead to improved governance and greater benefits for the people.”
 

“Charter Change is a rare opportunity that demands meaningful changes benefiting our nation and future generations. Let us seize this moment to enact comprehensive reforms,” the letter read.
 

Gadon’s call came after the House of Representatives passed the Resolution of Both Houses 7 (RBH7) amending restrictive economic provisions in the Constitution just before Holy Week.
 

The Senate, on the other hand, will complete deliberations on Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, co-authored by Zubiri and Senators Loren Legarda and Sonny Angara, in October, though it is unclear if they can get the needed 18 votes. 
 

Among Gadon’s suggestions is to increase the number of senators from the current 24 to 48 because he said this would “enhance efficiency.”
 

“With fewer committee assignments, each senator can actively participate in discussions, promoting better governance practices,” he said.
 

The official is also pushing for an extension of term limits to six years of the following positions: members of the House of Representatives, governors, vice governors, board members, mayors, vice mayors, and councilors because the triennial elections “incur substantial costs, draining billions in public funds and imposing financial burdens on candidates.”
 

He, however, clarified that the term limits for president, vice president, and senators must be maintained “to dispel perceptions of extending incumbent officials' terms.”
 

The presidential anti-poverty adviser also said that the president and vice president should be elected as a single team.
 

Further, he asked Congress to consider transitioning from a presidential to a parliamentary form of government, with the prime minister position to be shared by the Senate President and the House Speaker.
 

As cited in the letter, the prime minister would be tasked to appoint the cabinet ministers, while the president would be the head of state, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, and head of foreign relations.
 

The president would also appoint the members of the judiciary and constitutional commissions, as well as recommend the removal of cabinet ministers.
 

Gadon also said that Congress should “introduce a more feasible process of ‘recall election’ to hold non-performing, incompetent, and corrupt local officials accountable.”
 

He pushed that the provisions for the extended term should take effect in the 2028 national elections, but stressed that “local officials who have served the present three consecutive terms cannot run in 2028 but may do so in subsequent national elections.”