ANGELES CITY- Despite conflicts in the Lower House on Charter change, this city’s Rep. Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin, a close ally of Pres. Arroyo, insisted yesterday that she would run for congress in the 2010 elections if a “chance presented itself”.
The chance, Lazatin told Punto, refers to the possibility of a Charter change that would pave the way for a parliamentary government.
This was the same view he expressed over a month ago amid the unusually frequent visits of the President to the second district of Pampanga where she is a registered voter in Lubao. Her son, Rep. Mikey Arroyo, will reportedly run for governor.
Lazatin aired this view over a month ago, as he reiterated he still holds the same view despite conflicts on Charter change in the Lower House. Earlier, he said that once the proposed changes, including a shift to parliamentary system of government in the Charter is approved, a plebiscite on it would be held together with the elections in May next year.
If the plebiscite is favorably voted upon by the people, the new Charter would be implemented immediately and absorb the newly elected members of Congress into the Parliament where Mrs. Arroyo would then be elected prime minister, he also said.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte, a major ally of the Arroyo government in the House, has, however, already withdrawn his support for any Charter change (Cha-cha) and even vowed to block it.
Villafuerte has earlier pushed for a Senate-less constitutional assembly (con-ass) approach to Cha-cha, a move that conflicted with the proposal of Speaker Prospero Nograles for a constitutional convention (con-con).
Villafuerte said he was “aghast” that the House leadership under Nograles “refused to heed the practical solution” of convening a Senate-less con-ass.
Bacolor Mayor Buddy Dungca, known to be a close friend of the President’s eldest son Mikey, also said he believed that the President is considering running for congress in next year’s polls.
He said this could be the reason why she has been frequenting areas, including remote island barangays in the second district. This year, the President has visited many areas in the district no less than 12 times. Her visits were also accompanied with medical-dental missions for local folk, unlike her visits in the previous years.
Lawyer Romulo Macalintal, who is known as the President’s election legal counsel, said the President need not resign even if she runs for congress. He cited Section 67 of the Omnibus Election Code “which provides that an incumbent elective official who runs for a position other than the one he or she is holding in an incumbent capacity had been repealed under Section 14 of RA 9006, Fair Election Act of 2000.”
“In other words, any elective official who runs for any other position retains his or her position during the entire campaign period till election day since their term of office ends at noon of June 30, 2010,” he said.
Pampanga Commission on Elections (Comelec) chief Temmie Lambino said “a president is prohibited only from seeking reelection and that’s in the Constitution.”
But noted lawyer Ernesto Francisco, one of the volunteer lawyers of Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio, urged the President “not to run for the country’s sake.”
“At any rate, any move on her part to run for Congress is proof she is behind con-ass. The two moves complement each other,” he said.
The chance, Lazatin told Punto, refers to the possibility of a Charter change that would pave the way for a parliamentary government.
This was the same view he expressed over a month ago amid the unusually frequent visits of the President to the second district of Pampanga where she is a registered voter in Lubao. Her son, Rep. Mikey Arroyo, will reportedly run for governor.
Lazatin aired this view over a month ago, as he reiterated he still holds the same view despite conflicts on Charter change in the Lower House. Earlier, he said that once the proposed changes, including a shift to parliamentary system of government in the Charter is approved, a plebiscite on it would be held together with the elections in May next year.
If the plebiscite is favorably voted upon by the people, the new Charter would be implemented immediately and absorb the newly elected members of Congress into the Parliament where Mrs. Arroyo would then be elected prime minister, he also said.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte, a major ally of the Arroyo government in the House, has, however, already withdrawn his support for any Charter change (Cha-cha) and even vowed to block it.
Villafuerte has earlier pushed for a Senate-less constitutional assembly (con-ass) approach to Cha-cha, a move that conflicted with the proposal of Speaker Prospero Nograles for a constitutional convention (con-con).
Villafuerte said he was “aghast” that the House leadership under Nograles “refused to heed the practical solution” of convening a Senate-less con-ass.
Bacolor Mayor Buddy Dungca, known to be a close friend of the President’s eldest son Mikey, also said he believed that the President is considering running for congress in next year’s polls.
He said this could be the reason why she has been frequenting areas, including remote island barangays in the second district. This year, the President has visited many areas in the district no less than 12 times. Her visits were also accompanied with medical-dental missions for local folk, unlike her visits in the previous years.
Lawyer Romulo Macalintal, who is known as the President’s election legal counsel, said the President need not resign even if she runs for congress. He cited Section 67 of the Omnibus Election Code “which provides that an incumbent elective official who runs for a position other than the one he or she is holding in an incumbent capacity had been repealed under Section 14 of RA 9006, Fair Election Act of 2000.”
“In other words, any elective official who runs for any other position retains his or her position during the entire campaign period till election day since their term of office ends at noon of June 30, 2010,” he said.
Pampanga Commission on Elections (Comelec) chief Temmie Lambino said “a president is prohibited only from seeking reelection and that’s in the Constitution.”
But noted lawyer Ernesto Francisco, one of the volunteer lawyers of Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio, urged the President “not to run for the country’s sake.”
“At any rate, any move on her part to run for Congress is proof she is behind con-ass. The two moves complement each other,” he said.
