Deputy House Speaker Erin Tañada told a gathering of Liberal Party mayors in Negros Oriental over the weekend that changing the Constitution is not a priority of the present administration.

Tañada, however, said the issue may resurface after the 2013 local and national elections.

For the moment, it is not in the priority list of President Benigno Aquino III, even if it came out during the Senate and House legislative meeting last year, he said.

The proposals came from Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Sonny Belmonte, Tañada said.

However, if Charter change pushes through, it should be done through a constitutional convention. Tañada said he is in favor of block voting for the position of president and vice president, governor and vice governor, mayor and vice mayor.

Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong (Neg. Or., 1st District) said she is also in favor of Charter change, so that economic issues will be addressed. “If we were looking at the development of the grassroots level without further delay, the governor and his/her vice governor, the mayor and his/her vice mayor should be partners or should come from the same party, meaning that a vote for the president should also be a vote for the vice president”.

Limkaichong said there will still be check and balance with the participation of civil societies, and the presence of sanggunians as fiscalizers.*JG

back to top