Ex-Con-com chair Puno on House version of draft charter: Falsified federalism

Ex-Chief Justice Reynato Puno, former chairperson of the Consultative Committee (Con-com) that drafted a proposal for a federal kind of constitution, on Thursday called the House of Representative's version of the draft charter as "falsified federalism."

In an interview on GMA News TV's News To Go, Puno said the House lawmakers are pushing for a unitary form of government.

"Kung ating susuriin 'yang ginawa nitong House of Representatives ay hindi po nila itinatag ang isang federal form of government. Ang itinatag nila ay 'yung pa ring unitary form of government," Puno said.

"Kapag sinabi natin na federal, may itatatag ka na federal form of government at federal states. Hahatiin mo 'yung kapangyarihan ng gobyerno... Wala pong ganon na itinatag sa House resolution na ito," he added. "Anyo lang ng federalism pero hindi tunay na federalism."

Puno also criticized the hasty passage of the draft charter, saying that lawmakers did not follow the correct manner of revising the 1987 Constitution.

"Bukod doon sa substantive content ng ginawa nila, mayroon ding problema doon sa procedure. They did not follow the process of amending or revising the Constitution," Puno said.

"What they followed is the process of enacting an ordinary legislation," Puno added. "Tinitingnan natin 'yung naging debate, napaka-igsi ng debate... para pagdebatehan ang isang Konstitusyon eh you have to spend a lot of time."

The former top judge vowed that the whole Con-com would not extend its support to the House's version of the draft charter.

"Hindi lang ako ang hindi sumusuporta sa version ng House. 'Yun pong buong Consultative Committee ay di susuportahan 'yung bersyon ng House of Representatives," Puno said.

No term limits

Puno said he believes that the House's version would only worsen the political problem in the Philippines as the power of politicians who belong to political dynasties will be "unlimited."

"That aggravates the situation, 'yung political monopoly ng mga dynasties will be forever. Unlimited eh," Puno said.

"'Yang Kongreso eh pinamumugaran ng dynasties, eh papano nila aalisin 'yung dynasty eh sila ang matatamaan. So may conflict of interest," he added.

Voting 224-22-3, the House approved Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 15, principally authored by Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, which seeks a shift to a federal form of government and the removal of term limits for lawmakers. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News