(Photo grabbed from news.ABS-CBN.com)
CLARK FREEPORT – The ex-spokesperson of the defunct Consultative Committee (ConCom) for drafting a proposal for Charter change towards federalism expressed hope that despite the House approval of its own “horrible version,” there is still hope for his committee’s draft in the 18th Congress.
Guesting in a recent forum of the Capampangas in Media Inc. (CAMI) here, Concom former spokesperson Ding Generoso noted that Pres. Duterte never passed on to Congress the draft of ConCom, which was composed of 22 members headed by former Chief Justice Reynato Puno.
Noting that the Concom draft was submitted to Malacanang way back July 17 this year, Generoso noted in an interview with Punto that the President might have decided to ignore the ConCom draft because he knew it would not have enough support at the Senate.
Generoso noted that at least 18 senators would be needed for the adoption of the draft, but a count of his supporters in the Senate revealed this number could not be reached.
He said he was against the House version for ignoring the significant highlights of the ConCom proposal, including the explicit prohibition on political dynasties. The House version has come to be known as Arroyo-proposed charter as Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is known to have pushed for it.
The Senate, however, had declared it would definitely junk the Arroyo version. Arroyo, however, expressed hope that the House draft could be considered by the 18th Congress.
The same sentiment was aired by Generoso, but he referred to the Concom version.
At the forum, he said there are no impediments that could prevent Pres. Duterte from endorsing the Puno committee version to members of the 18th Congress.
Generoso noted, however, that he would no longer represent the ConCom as he had already a certificate of candidacy for senator under the Katipunan Ng Kamalayang Kayumanggi political party for the 2019 elections.
“We are making the 2019 elections a platform to advance federalism, system change, and the Puno draft constitution,” he said, adding that his party would focus its campaign on promoting the Puno charter version.
“We are bringing the Puno draft federal constitution to the polls in line with what the President said in his SONA — that he is confident that ‘the people will stand behind us when we bring the draft constitution to them,’” Generoso said.
Some of the salient features of the Puno committee proposal, apart from banning political dynasties, include transitory provisions in Article 22 which now includes a section that explicitly prohibits the incumbent president, Duterte, from running in the May 2022 elections.
It also calls for the election of a Transition President and Vice President, another change in the draft constitution that Duterte wanted.
