Decision on ‘no-el’ should be made before filing of COCs in October — Alvarez

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday said the decision whether or not to postpone the May 2019 elections to make way for federalism should be made before the scheduled filing of certificates of candidacy this October.

"Kapag nag-file ka ng candidacy nang October, ang hirap na pong kumuha ng quorum niyan," Alvarez said in a radio interview.

Alvarez has said that postponing the May 2019 elections would be the most practical way to push for Charter change to shift to a federal form of government.

He said the series of events in the House's calendar for the next few months would make it hard for them to take up Charter change.

These include President Rodrigo Duterte's third State of the Nation Address, the budget deliberations, the filing of the certificates of candidacy by October, the Christmas season, and the expected start of the campaign season by February next year should the May 2019 elections push through.

Alvarez said that if Charter change was the priority, Congress should put its focus on it.

"You have to look at this objectively. Tingnan natin, kung talagang gawin natin ito, let's do it right," he said.

Alvarez has likewise pointed out that if the Senate would not agree with postponing the 2019 elections, one possible way to do it is through a "People's Initiative" to amend the constitutional provision that mandates an election every three years. — BM, GMA News