Gadon's response to Rodriguez: You must be open to discussions on Cha-cha
By Raymund Antonio and Raymund Antonio
Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon urged Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez to be “open” and “receptive” to suggestions of amending the political provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
(From left) Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon and Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (PPAB, Facebook)
Secretary Gadon lamented that the lawmaker, also the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments chairman, has obviously not yet read the letter he submitted to House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and “has not yet evaluated the good points of my suggestions.”
“Cong Rufus Rodriguez, being the chairman of Constitutional Amendments Committee, should be more receptive and open to discussions of ideas and suggestions to amendments,” Gadon said.
“On the contrary, he shuts out ideas at the onset. Where is objectivity here?,” he questioned.
The official added that Rodriguez’s response puts the committee’s mandate to question.
“Mas bagay siguro dapat ang title nya ay (His title should be) Chairman of the 1987 Cory Constitution Protection and Preservation,” the official remarked.
Last week, Gadon sent a letter to both leaders of Congress urging them to include political amendments in the proposed Charter Change (Cha-cha) despite plans only to revise its restrictive economic provisions.
Among the suggestions is to increase the number of senators to 48, switching to a parliamentary form of government, and extending the terms of local government officials.
But Rodriguez lambasted the suggestions and said that “has no doubt that his House boss (Romualdez) would just throw the letter into the garbage.”
He appealed to the House Speaker to “completely disregard” the letter.
Gadon, however, shrugged off Rodriguez’s comments.
“I am not bothered by the insulting statement of Cong Rufus as I am already used to his fiery manner in looking at things,” he said, citing as examples the Mindanao legislator’s opposition to Gadon’s impeachment complaint against former Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and the shutdown of media network ABS-CBN.