MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s Consultative Committee (Con-com) to review the 1987 Constitution expects to finish its first draft Constitution by April 30 instead of its initial target, April 20.
Con-com Senior Technical Assistant and spokesperson Ding Generoso said the schedule was moved in view of the country’s observance of the Holy Week.
“We are now targeting end of April for the initial draft that will be presented in the regional public consultations starting May 2,” Generoso said in a press conference at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on Tuesday.
The Con-com has accomplished major strides in the first 30 days since it convened last February 19.
On February 27, the Con-con voted to adopt to propose a federal-presidential form of government.
Under the federal-presidential system, the Con-com is inclined to retain a bicameral Congress–the House and Senate, with the senators to be elected regionally and not nationally.
The Con-com sub-committee on the structure of the federal government also decided to require candidates for the Congress to possess a college degree or its equivalent.
Last week, the body also voted to prohibit second-degree relatives from succeeding each other in office and limit the number of positions they can hold to only two – one national and one regional or local.
The proposed anti-dynasty provisions virtually limits political families to have only one position at the regional and local levels.
The ConCom devoted four days last week to deliberate exhaustively on all issues involving dynasties before it made its decision.
“What the Congress failed or refused to do for 31 years, the ConCom resolved and completed in four days,” Generoso said.
Puno earlier described the anti-political dynasty provision as “sine qua non” or a prerequisite to the adoption of a federal-presidential system.
Next 30 days
In the next 30 days, the Con-com sub-committee on the structure of a federal government will continue deliberations on the distribution of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches.
When the ConCom returns returns from Holy Week break top on the agenda for en banc on April 4 and 5 will be political reforms covering term limits, turncoatism, and the electoral system, among others.
On April 10, the Con-com will tackle economic reforms including balanced economic liberalization, land ownership, and competitiveness.
The Con-com will discuss the Bill of Rights, particularly the civil and political rights to be strengthened with the inclusion of second and third-generation rights on April 11.
On April 16 and 17, the Con-com will deliberate on constitutional bodies and the structure of a federal government will be discussed
The body will tackle the creation of constituent units as part of the “evolving system of federalism” on April 23 to 26.
From May 2 to June 19, the Con-com will be divided into teams for regional and provincial consultations.
The Con-com is expected to be in its consolidation or approval phase by June 20 to July 16.
Generoso said that the Con-com is expected to have adopted a draft Constitution to be submitted to Duterte by July 19, before he delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA). (PNA)
