President Rodrigo Duterte and the consultative commission tasked to propose changes to the 1987 Constitution, much less the allies of the President in Congress, cannot be too sure about the ratification of the charter.
For one thing, many Filipinos have turned off at the rate some members of Congress—in both Houses—are talking about a no-el scenario, or a term extension for the President and lawmakers.
Most Filipinos also do not understand what a federal system of government is, much less its benefits.
The Pulse Asia survey bears this out—most Filipinos are against charter change and a shift to a federal form of government. This is because there has never been a massive information campaign on the need for this.
Personally, I am for charter change. I believe we need to amend many provisions of the 1987 Constitution. This was framed by Cory Aquino-chosen delegates as a reaction to the Marcos dictatorship.
If the Duterte allies keep talking about a no-election scenario, more people will be turned off.
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Santa Banana, in a news report on the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth of members of Congress, Pacman part-list Rep. Richard Romero is the richest congressman with a net worth of P7.29 billion, followed by Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar of DIWA party-list. She is the wife of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.
They do not really represent marginalized sectors of society as intended by the 1987 Constitution.
Party-list representation is a big joke, an anomaly. Most, if not all, party-list representatives are members of the elite. This is an anomaly that is not corrected in the proposed constitution.
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Reports have it that not one of the five senior associate justices have so far signified interest in the chief justice post, after Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno was ousted with finality through quo warranto proceedings.
The five justices are Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio and Justices Presbitero Velasco, Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Diosdado Peralta and Lucas Bersamin.
Under the rules of the Judicial and Bar Council, those nominated for chief justice have to formally accept the nomination. The JBC also requires the consent of an automatic nominee. The President has until September 16 to appoint the Chief Justice.
But while Carpio has announced his decision to decline the nomination, there are jurists like former Chief Justice Hilario Davide who say that the JBC can always relax its rules.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra himself said that delicadeza cannot anymore be invoked by Carpio since the ouster of Sereno had become final. Delicadeza was Carpio’s reason for declining the nomination. While he voted with the minority, Carpio was clear that Sereno should have been impeached instead.
Carpio had been bypassed twice despite the seniority rule. He remains the most senior among the justices. He deserves to be chief justice, and if only for public interest, he should accept the nomination.
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The Social Weather Stations’ recent survey said that eight in 10 Filipinos are disappointed at the way President Duterte and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano are handling the dispute with China. China is not only occupying disputed territory; it is militarizing it!
People believe that we should improve our defense. Seventy-four of those polled said it would be right to pursue diplomatic negotiations with China. Some 68 percent said that we should seek the intervention of a third-party country.
I have long believed that the foreign policy of the Duterte administration is misdirected. But is the President even listening?
Filipinos’ frustration is best shown by that banner that said the Philippines is a province of China.
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Boxing icon, Senator Manny Pacquiao won last Sunday in Kuala Lumpur —but the excitement just was not there.
He should retire now. He has nothing more to prove.
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